Runaway Royalty
by leavesfallingup
Summary: Kotonami Kanae is offered her big break, debuting as the leading lady in a new movie. But then she meets her costar: Uesugi Hiou, the boy who has a crush on her and who loved to boss her around. How will she cope with three months in Australia with Hiou?
1. The difference a year makes

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters

**Chapter One – The difference a year makes**

**Author's Note: **If you have read the story _Always with you_ then you will immediately recognize the text below. It was copied from chapter 18 of that story and will set the stage for all that will follow in this story. I included it in order to maintain continuity. If you haven't read that story, I recommend that you read it first. Several of the "new" characters may appear, and references will be made to events in Kyoko's life that will not make sense without the other story.

**IMPORTANT: **'thats absurd.I LOVE IT' (yes, that's a pen-name) emailed me with a correction. On chapter 15, page 5 there is an author's note box where he writes that Kanae is supposed to be the same age as Kyoko. That makes her 18 at the time of this story, not 20. Thank you 'thats absurd.I LOVE IT. I am making the corrections now.

One inescapable truth in this story: Kotonami Kanae is 18 years old, while Hiou is only 13. That being the case, don't count on a standard "couple" story. Nevertheless, there will be romance and I hope that you will be pleased if you stay with the story until the end. Let us away!

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It had been the longest year of his young life because she wasn't in it. But there had been benefits.

His father and grandfather had both promised him that he would eventually have his growth spurt. He turned nine; three lousy centimeters. He turned ten; five centimeters. He turned twelve and grew only another four. His classmates called him "smalls" and "half-liter" and just about every other lame name they could think of.

He could have easily taken any of them; after all, he had been training in his family dojo since he could stand. But he lived under the firm injunction from both father and grandfather: _Martial arts is for defense. A real man doesn't hurt others to prove himself_. He didn't want to _hurt_ them. He just wanted to _permanently disfigure_ them.

And then _she_ had come along. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. And she had talked to him like he was a real person. She had given him respect. Oh sure, there was that one thing. But after he visited her home he had understood.

But what do you do when the woman you love is five years older and twenty-three centimeters taller than you? Life can be cruel. Still, he had reveled in every day that he was able to work with her. When the very last scene of the very last show was complete, he thought that he would die.

That was a year ago. But in that year he had grown twenty-two incredible centimeters. And better yet, he was _still growing_! His voice was changing into a rich baritone. His "cute" cheeks had faded away. He was becoming a man.

And today he was going to see Kotonami Kanae for the first time in twelve immeasurably long and lonely months.

* * *

It was early afternoon when Kanae squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and opened the LME conference room door with the temporary label "Runaway Royalty casting meeting" on it. This was not an audition for her. For the first time she would take her place at the table as the leading lady.

Kanae walked confidently into the room and around the table at the front. There were already three men sitting at the table. She recognized Director Shinai, but not the other two. There was a placard with her name on it in front of one of the empty chairs. There was another chair beside hers with the placard face-down and a half-full glass of water.

Director Shinai and the other men at the table rose to greet her. Their demeanor and words made it clear that she was now on a higher rung of the food chain.

"Kotonami-san, we are all very pleased that you have decided to take on this project." Director Shinai said, "We've been studying your work for the last two years. We are confident that you will deliver a superior performance in this role."

He looked at the empty chair beside her, "Our prince must have stepped out. Anyway, while the producers and I sort through the audition applications, why don't you study this script? The three of us will handle the first elimination round. After that I would like you and our prince to play against our remaining hopefuls to see if they can deliver a good performance.

Kanae nodded and immediately buried herself in the script. She speed-read through it the first time. Then she started back from the beginning and tried to "discover" her character. This time she was determined to create a character as rich as any created by her biggest rival and best friend.

During the second perusal another person entered the room and took the empty seat next to her. She was deep into the story, so she didn't look up to see who it was. She sensed the person looking at her and began to feel annoyed. Kanae was used to people, especially men, looking at her. But it really annoyed her for people to stare when she was trying to concentrate.

She glanced over quickly, gave him her coldest scowl, looked back down at the script.

But now she couldn't concentrate. She had seen those devilish eyes before. There was something about the way his hair fell across his forehead. There was something frustratingly familiar, but she couldn't…. "Mo! Would you stop staring!"

"Hello, Kotonami-san. It's been a long time." It was his evil grin that gave him away.

"Hiou-chan?"

* * *

"Hiou-chan! You're going to spend three months in Australia with Hiou-chan?" Kyoko and CHiouri were both laughing at their friend's discomfort.

Aiko Mari looked back and forth between the girls trying to understand, "I don't get it. Who is this actor?"

Kyoko giggled, "Oh, it's only Kanae's biggest... well I wouldn't say biggest..."

"Oh, that's changed too. That little twerp grew twenty-two centimeters in twelve months! Now he can stand face-to-face with me."

Chiori snorted, "Oh boy, _that_ definitely opens up some possibilities!"

"No it does not! Just because he's as tall as me now doesn't mean anything!"

"Ano, you were starting to explain?" Mari tried to get the LoveMe girl's back on track.

Kyoko waved her hands trying to stifle her laughter so that she could respond, "Hiou-chan is twelve… no wait, thirteen years old and he thinks that Moko-chan tells the sun to rise in the morning. He's actually a nice kid, but he's a little bossy (Kanae snorted at the understatement). He comes from a really famous acting family, the Uesugi's…"

"Taz!"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Are you talking about Taz? Uesugi Hiou?"

"Umm, yes. But why do you call him Taz?"

"His father calls him that. It comes from that American cartoon." The girls all looked at Mari blankly, "Ok, sorry. His dad showed me all of the cartoons; they're hilarious. Taz is short for Tasmanian Devil. In the cartoon he is this short, powerful animal that moves really fast and leaves a wake of destruction behind him. Hiou-chan's dad calls him Taz because he's super fast."

"How do you know his dad?"

"Well, his dad and grandfather are the ones who taught us Karate and Taekwondo. His family has trained most of the stunt people and actors for action roles for the last thirty years.

"Wait a minute… Kanae… Kanae… That's right! His dad always teases him about some girl he is madly in love with. You're her?!"

Kanae nodded, not thinking this was funny at all. Then Mari's eyes got really big and she really started giggling. Kanae's eyebrows raised, "Mo! What's so funny?"

"I just remembered what you said about your role. About you having to learn martial arts so that you can act out some of the scenes? Well guess who'll be training you while you're in Australia?"

Kanae covered her forehead with her hand. "Oh no."

Chiouri Amamiya was laughing so hard she almost in tears as she struck her best martial arts pose, "Kei-yah! Full-contact, baby!"

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**Notes: **Once again, this chapter is taken directly from _Always with you._ Some of the characters, like Aiko Mari, were already developed in that story. I am starting this story at a point near the end of that story and working on the assumption that readers have already become acquainted with the events of _AWY_. "You must first understand this, or nothing that follows will be clear." Sorry, I was having a Dickin's moment.

Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this story. Please read and review.


	2. The Plot Meeting

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter Two – The Plot Meeting**

**IMPORTANT: **'thats absurd.I LOVE IT' (yes, that's a pen-name) emailed me with a correction. On chapter 15, page 5 there is an author's note box where he writes that Kanae is supposed to be the same age as Kyoko. That makes her 18 at the time of this story, not 20. Thank you 'thats absurd.I LOVE IT. I am making the corrections now.

Today should have been an ideal day for Kotonami Kanae. This afternoon the Japanese cast and crew for _Runaway Royalty_ was meeting for the first time. Several members of the Australian cast had flown up, but most would not meet up until everyone was in Australia, where the bulk of the filming would take place. Today should have been ideal because Kanae was meeting the cast of the new movie, and she was the leading lady. It should have been ideal because the plot meeting was the perfect place for each actor's character to be "formed" through interaction with the other actors' characters. Today should have been ideal because the plot meeting signaled the true beginning of a new project, a new adventure.

Today should have been ideal, but it wasn't. It wasn't ideal because Kanae was woken at 2:45am by a phone call from a confused and crying Kyoko. It wasn't ideal because she had spent part of her pre-dawn in the passenger seat of Tsuruga Ren's car as they raced up highway 165 trying to save Kyoko. And it wasn't ideal because Kanae, and many others, had spent the remainder of the morning in the hospital, waiting, hoping, and praying for Kyoko to wake up from her terrible motorcycle accident. Kanae would still have been there now if it weren't for this meeting. (See _Always with you_ for clarification on these events).

But there was one thing that Kyoko, Tsuruga Ren, and Kanae shared in common: they were professionals. If Kyoko did wake up while Kanae wasn't there, she would understand and be proud of her friend for doing her duty. Nevertheless, it took every ounce of mental strength and determination to keep her mind focused on the task at hand.

Now, beauty is an interesting thing. Some women are blessed with a beauty which is visible whenever their mood is good and all is right with the world; this beauty, unfortunately, pales or even distorts during times of anger, distress, or other strong emotions. Other women are essentially plain under normal circumstances, and then inner anger or turmoil stokes a fire inside that allows their true inner-character to emerge; only then is their full beauty revealed. This is why many men first notice a woman when she is at her worst: it isn't her anger that attracts; it is the unwonted revelation of her inner strength (if this makes sense). Kotonami Kanae was doubly-blessed: she was unquestionably beautiful to begin with, but get her angry, or distressed, or frantic with worry… well, let's observe her impact as she joins the gathered cast and crew.

Many of the people in the room had never met Kanae; she _had_ only been in the industry for two years, and never in a leading role. Frankly, many thought it ridiculous that such an important role should be thrown away on a talento beginner, regardless of how much influence she had behind her. Oh sure, from what they had seen of her they could admit that she was beautiful. They were also reluctantly willing to admit that she had acted well in the parts that she had played. They just questioned whether or not she was ready to take on a challenge this big.

Worse, she was a member of Takarada Lory's LoveMe section. Many of the young actresses delighted in talking about that band of pink-suited misfits. As most of them understood it, it was the throw-away section, created for girls who couldn't cut it in the LME New Talent Audition. They _were_ willing to grant that the other girl with the odd personality, Kyoko, had surprising talent for odd characters. But that hardly counted as _real_ talent. Besides, that was her, not Kotonami Kanae.

These thoughts, and even a few whispered conversations, took place before Kanae swept into the room. Some actors shine on the silver screen but are disappointing to meet in person. Kotonami Kanae had not yet been allowed to show her full potential on screen. Her true impact _was_ felt by everyone now. Kanae was too focused on combating her own inner turmoil to notice the sudden hush that swept the room as she entered. Both the males and the females turned to watch her as she made her way to her rightful place near the head of the table. Director Shinai, two producers, and several other men rose from their seats as she reached her own. Uesugi Hiou was the quickest on his feet, pulling her chair back and holding it for her. His heart leapt as she graced him with a smile and took her seat.

The men in the room were now completely focused on her, while several of the girls looked at the raven-haired girl enviously.

Director Shinai Yasao took advantage of the lull in conversations to call the meeting to order. "Let me have everyone's attention, please. My name is Shinai Yasao, and I will be your director for this film. Please take good care of me."

After the appropriate responses, he continued, "Allow me to introduce the key players. First, our producers are Enomoto Gonshiro and Adachi Hiro." The group clapped politely.

"Our leading lady, playing the part of Hishida Euiko, is Kotonami Kanae." There was enthusiasm in the clapping now that people had seen her in person.

"Our prince, Motubu Hiroji, will be played by Uesugi Hiou." There was genuine applause. Hiou and his family were icons in the industry. Many of the people in the room had been watching this teen in dramas and movies since they were young.

"Our lead antagonist, Furusawa Hitoshi, will be played by Eguchi Hanshiro," Eguchi was a handsome, tough-looking man of medium height. He was also well recognized for his recent supporting roles in several action films.

"Now, I'd like to introduce three of our Australian actors who have key roles. All three of these actors have experience in drama and movies in their own country. I asked them to fly in for this meeting so that everyone can get acquainted and so that they can get a feel for the history behind our Okinawan characters. Playing father and son, please welcome Steven James and Andy Hammond." The man and teen, though unrelated, looked very much alike. They also had similar open and friendly personalities. They had already met and spoken with many of their Japanese counterparts and so were warmly welcomed. Hiou had already struck up a friendship with Andy Hammond and looked forward to acting together with him.

"And playing Officer Gus Bryant, please welcome Neil Grant." The applause from the females in the room was definitely more enthusiastic now. Neil Grant had recently transitioned from modeling into acting. He was unquestionably handsome, in the rugged and manly way that epitomized most of the world's idea of an Australian from the Outback. He would spend most of the filming acting alongside Kanae. Hiou didn't like him at all.

Director Shinai introduced each person in turn. When he had finished he began explaining the plot of the movie. "Many of the Japanese people in this room have studied the history of Okinawa and the Ryukyu Kingdom. But for our Australian counterparts and for those who don't know all of the details, I will provide a brief overview.

"Okinawa and the surrounding islands were part of a separate kingdom, named the Ryukyu Kingdom for many centuries. Japan first began to gain a foothold in this kingdom when a group of Samurais attacked and started exerting pressure on the little kingdom. They were led by Satsuma-han in the 17th century.

As most of you know, Japan's policy during this period and for most of the next two centuries was to remain isolated from other countries. Okinawa, therefore, offered the ideal solution for trade. Ships from China and other eastern countries, and eventually western countries, were allowed to make port there and conduct trade.

"Even though there were many outside influences, the Ryukyu kingdom still maintained a very traditional life, even when the Japanese mainland began to modernize. As time progressed, our emperor's government exerted more and tighter controls on the smaller island kingdom. Still, the Ryukyu royalty were allowed to maintain at least the illusion of sovereignty through most of the 1800s.

"In the worldwide struggle for imperial domination that characterized the 19th century, it began to be inconvenient to have a separate sovereign nation at Japan's southern border. Eventually the imperial government began to take over many facets of daily Ryukyu life. For example, Japan placed their own trained teachers in the schools. Okinawan students would regularly have to start out their day with the chant, 'Tenno Heika Banzai (All hail the Emperor).' In 1879 the Emperor finally dissolved the Ryukyu government and formally annexed the islands.

"Our story begins just before this final chapter in Ryukyu's history, in early 1878. Motubu Hiroji is a young prince, the nephew of the King. He has grown up watching the Japanese influence and control over the royal family grow. He hates what he sees and he is disgusted with the way his family is succumbing to the Emperor. He has frequently heard of the life of adventure in the gold fields of Australia from his retainer. Hungry after adventure, he secretly flees Shuri Castle and pays for a berth on a Dutch ship bound for Australia.

"When the royal family discovers what he has done, they accuse Hishida Ishi of failing in his responsibilities. The Hishida family is one of the _Udun_, the lesser royal families under Motobu. Hishida Ishi has responsibility for overall day-to-day activities within Shuri Castle, the seat of Ryukyu power. When Hishida Euiko, Ishi's only child, sees her father being blamed, she resolves to pursue the prince and bring him back herself.

"Now, in this time in history it was considered improper for a woman from a royal family to handle a sword or to engage in martial arts. But Ishi was a doting father without a son. He started teaching Euiko at a young age and found her to be an apt pupil. She was also highly intelligent. She studied medicine, cooking, writing, calligraphy, accounting and the courtesies of the tea ceremony. In short, she was as capable as any government official; even though she was only twenty, and a woman.

"The prince arrived in Melbourne and almost immediately got into a tussle with some local hoodlums. As he was trying to get away from the authorities he hid among the supplies in the back of a wagon. The wagon was owned by John Stewart. When he and his son, Simon, discovered Hiroji, they kept silent and lead the wagon out of town. Eventually they hired the spoiled young man to work with them on their sheep farm.

"Hishida Euiko also got into trouble when she arrived, but it was of a different sort. Her beauty immediately attracted attention as she roamed the town trying to discover Hiroji's whereabouts. A powerful madam in Melbourne thought to make money from either recruiting or suborning the young lady. When Euiko was confronted with a group of hired roughs, she demonstrated all of the martial arts skills that her father taught her. When she was done six men were laying incapacitated on the ground. Naturally, the local police "invited" her to their offices.

"Euiko explained her mission and presented a forged letter from the king requesting assistance. The police chief appointed officer Augustus 'Gus' Bryant to travel with her and offer any assistance necessary to locate and apprehend the runaway prince.

"Meanwhile the Japanese prefectural leader in Shuri dispatched Furusawa Hitoshi to prevent Euiko's quest from succeeding by whatever means necessary. One other thing: due to the necessities of trade, both Hiroji and Euiko had learned basic English and French."

Director Shinai paused to check everyone's attention levels. "The rest of the story is in your scripts, so I will let you read those.

"Kotonami-san, Eguchi Hanshiro, and Andy Hammond; you will all begin training in the Uesugi Dojo with Uesugi Ryotaru until it is time to fly to Australia. After that Hiou-san will become responsible for your continued training." The two men looked at the young teen curiously. Kanae just winced.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a period piece. I want it to be as authentic as possible. If your script calls for you to do something that you don't know how to do, then it is your responsibility to meet with my staff and seek the necessary training. We will meet again on this day in one week. Thank you."

As Kotonami Kanae stood to go several of the young men, including Neil Grant and Eguchi Hanshiro, tried to attract her attention. She was courteous, but made it clear that she had other things on her mind.

"Kotonami-san, how is Mogami-san?"

Kanae looked up to meet Hiou's genuine look of concern, "She is stable, and she is out of danger. But we don't know when she will wake up."

"Do you need to take this afternoon off instead of going to the dojo?"

"No, Hiou-san, but thank you. Kyoko would expect me to do my job. She'll wake up soon."

"Are we talking 'bout the Sheila who was chased off the road this morning?" Neil Grant asked, still trying to steal Kanae's attention.

Kanae had to remind herself that the mindset of the Australian's toward courtesy was different than that in Japan, "Yes, Grant-san. Mogami Kyoko is a close friend."

"Well, don't you worry, love. I'm sure she'll pull out of it just fine. I'd really like to spend some time with you going over the script. Are you available now?"

At the moment Hiou was desperately wishing that Neil Grant would be coming to the dojo as well.

**___________________________________________________**

**Notes:** This story may portray some of the Japanese officials as grasping and devious. Please understand, at the time in history that the story in the movie takes place, countries all over the world were involved in grabbing territory by honest, devious, and even violent means. This was called Imperialism, and almost no major country was without guilt in their treatment of weaker nations.

If you think that I'm overdoing the Australian phrasing, understand that the actor Neil Grant acts rustic in order to project a certain image and attract the girls.

Your reviews are always appreciated.


	3. The Secret Art

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter Three – The Secret Art**

Uesugi Ryotaru, normally a pleasant-faced man in public, looked forbidding and stern as he faced his three new pupils. "From this point forward, and for as long as you study under my dojo, you will address me as Sensei."

"Hai, Sensei!" Kanae, Eguchi Hanshiro, and Andy Hammond were feeling the strain of their prolonged low-horse stance. They had already been training on basic techniques for several hours, and theu felt every muscle.

"From today you will be learning one of the most well-kept and secret arts in the eastern hemisphere. The Oke Hiden Bijutsu, also known as the Motobu Udun Ti, was the secret martial art of the royal families in the Ryukyu Kingdom. This art had three purposes: the first was so that the royals could defend themselves against attackers. The second was to that the royals could battle each other without causing serious injury. The third was so that the royals could have a physical and spiritual outlet for themselves."

"Hai, Sensei!" As the father spoke, his son walked behind each of the students and tested their posture by applying pressure, or even standing on their horizontal upper-legs.

"Motobu was the name of the royal family of Ryukyu. Udun is the title describing the 38 royal families who were directly related and steadfastly loyal to the main family. Only the Motobu and Udun were allowed to learn and practice this art. It allowed them to defend against attacks using their bare hands, swords, machetes, canes, cudgels, staffs, paddles, and other weapons.

"Hai, sensei!" Hiou applied pressure from the sides, testing each student's balance.

"As often as possible, the rule of Oke Hiden Bijutsu was to disarm and subdue the opponent without causing death or serious injury. This was strictly enforced when royal family members faced each-other, but it also applied when facing others."

"Hai, sensei!"

Uesugi Hiou spoke up in sharp command, "Stand. Bow. Turn. Bow. Turn. Bow. Turn. Bow. Face front." As they turned they bowed to the sayings and names of ancestors on each wall.

The three students and Hiou assumed a "ready" stance as they faced Ueusugi Ryotaru. "I will be here as often as I can. When I am not, then Sempai Hiou will act as your sensei. His commands are my commands. You have a limited time to learn, so you must practice your techniques and katas as much as your schedules will permit."

"Hai, Sensei!"

"Dismissed."

Each person took one step back and turned toward the door. Eguchi Hanshiro had some years of Karate in his background, so he was only slightly sore. Kanae and Andy on the other hand were aching in areas they had never known that they possessed.

"Kotonami-san, a moment please?"

"Hai, sensei?"

"How is Mogami-san?"

"She's still sleeping, but stable. She has two broken ribs and a broken leg, but no internal injuries."

"That is a relief. Would it be appropriate for me to go visit her?"

Kanae met the older man's eyes. He was genuinely concerned and serious about his question, "The doctor has restricted visits to only a select few "family." In Mogami-san's case that mean's her immediate friends. We hope that she will wake up soon, and then she would probably be grateful for your visit."

"That's good. I only had the opportunity to train her twice myself, but Hizami Saki, her sensei and my student, speaks about her in glowing terms."

Kanae's eyes were uncharacteristically moist, "She doesn't often understand the impact that she has on others, sensei."

The older man seemed to be composing his thoughts. Kanae waited. "Kotonami-san, I believe that you know about my son's… ah… infatuation with you?"

Kanae felt irritated at the slight warmth she felt on her cheeks. She hoped that it wasn't visible. "Yes, sir, I am aware of it."

"Hiou is a good boy, but he often speaks and acts before thinking. I have counseled him on the need to be circumspect. I have also counseled him on the proper behaviors toward a lady such as you."

Coming from such a dignified man, Kanae took this as a real compliment. "Thank you, sir. Hiou-san has not been a burden. He is a fine young man." _Especially compared to my siblings' kids._

"You are very generous. Nevertheless, if he becomes too difficult in Australia, I ask you to notify me."

"Thank you, sensei," Kanae bowed. He returned her bow and the two parted ways.

* * *

"So, mate, you have a thing for Miss Japan in there, do you?" Andy Hammond, aching in every fiber of his being, asked casually.

Hiou rounded on the Australian teen, fire in his eyes; he stopped himself when he encountered the older boys uplifted hands in surrender, "Easy mate, didn't mean to offend. I mean, I can't blame you. But isn't she a little too old for you?"

Hiou sighed, "Yeah, probably. But I can't help it." He had felt an instant affinity for the other boy when they met. Like him, Andy had been involved in television and film almost since birth. He had a witty sense of humor and a lively sense of fun. For some reason he felt like he could talk honestly with the young Australian.

"Well, you may be tilting at windmills, but she certainly looks like she'd be worth a few splinters." Hiou gave Andy a confused look. Andy was often using these odd phrases which Hiou couldn't seem to translate. "You know, Don Quixote?"

Hiou thought for a moment longer and then suddenly understood, "Hah! Splinters!"

"Splinters?" Kanae asked as she trudged her tired body up to the two teens. Both boys' eyes grew wide and a touch of pink showed on Andy's lighter skin.

"Umm, yeah, from the quarterstaff," Hiou stuttered out. As usual whenever he felt embarrassed, he put on a scowl, "tomorrow we'll be practicing with the cane, so you'll need to be careful of wood splinters."

"Um, okay. Hiou-san, Andy-san, both of you have a good evening." With that, Kanae walked toward the parking lot and her waiting transportation.

Both boys watched her long raven hair flying in the breeze as she went. Andy whistled softly, "She is certainly a beauty."

"Don't even think about it," Hiou growled.

* * *

"No! Catch the shaft in the middle and slide towards the tip. Plant your left foot and pivot your right behind you. That way you use his momentum against him and leave his entire right side exposed. Do it again until you get it right."

Kanae bit back the sharp replay she wanted to give to Hiou and focused on the technique. They had been training almost non-stop for the last three hours. Her arms, legs and sides hurt from bruises obtained from failing to deflect the blows from canes and cudgels. Her muscles were warm now, but she knew that every molecule would be screaming in pain once she finally rested for the night.

"Halt!" Hiou saw his mother standing at the entrance of the dojo. Once he bowed her in, she moved purposefully and gracefully across the wooden floor to Kanae.

She smiled gently as she met the younger lady's eyes, "Tsuruga-san just phoned for you, Kotonami-san. Mogami-san woke up."

Kanae hadn't realized that she had been holding her breath. She didn't even feel the tears flowing down her cheeks. Mother and son each took and arm and led her off the floor and into the Uesugi's home. Hiou stepped back out to allow her privacy. His mother stayed to hold her hand.

Once she had composed herself, Kanae spoke, "Thank you, but Tsuruga-san will want to visit with her now. I should finish here first. Then I will visit the hospital."

Uesugi Emiko, the epitome of tradition, approved of Kanae's decision. "I think that is a good idea, Kotonami-san. Please allow me to guide you to the bathroom so that you can touch up your eyes. We can't let these self-important men see us show weakness."

Kanae smiled at the older lady. Like her husband, she was a class act. "Thank you, Uesugi Emiko-san."

Hiou's mom sighed as she watched the beautiful young lady return to the dojo. If only there wasn't such an age difference. That girl would make a fine daughter-in-law.

* * *

Kyoko was sleeping peacefully when Kanae entered her room. Ren had been dragged off by his parents, at Kyoko's instructions, to get a bite to eat.

Kanae looked at the strange girl who had turned her life upside-down in the last two years. She remembered the first time she had met Kyoko, at the LME New Talent Audition. Kanae had thought the girl totally unsuited for the spotlight. She had been cruel to her, calling her a plain house-wife type and comparing the reaction to her act to the attraction people have to a pigmy hippopotamus. But even then something about the girl had intimidated her. She had sensed a power lurking underneath the surface; a power like nothing she had ever encountered.

She had been surprised at Kyoko's warm welcome when they met in the LoveMe section. She had been astounded at Kyoko's impromptu performance in the LME training school. And she had been somehow absolutely confident with Kyoko as her partner in the Curara audition. Nobody else in the world had ever made Kanae feel that sense of trust and confidence. As much as she tried to deny it, Kanae was proud to have this strange girl call her "best-friend."

Kanae wasn't even aware that she was rearranging Kyoko's hair until golden-brown eyes opened and met her own. "Moko-san! I'm so glad to see you."

Kanae started to yank her arm back in embarrassment, but then she just didn't care. "Mo! Kyoko-chan, don't you ever do this again. You're the one who insisted on being best friends. I was just fine on my own." Even as she said it, she knew it was a lie. "So now you're my best friend and you have no right to put yourself in danger. What if… what if…"

Suddenly the memory of seeing Kyoko flying down the long straight-stretch with the car almost running her over… and her sudden turn toward the hillside… and her disappearing… and them finding her laying on the path like a broken doll… The pent-up tears of fear and grief were released at that moment. Kanae wanted to speak, couldn't.

Kyoko's warm smile and soft eyes spoke her gratitude and love, "You _are_ my best friend, Moko-san. I promise, I'll be more careful. I promise."

Kanae composed herself and forced her usual annoyed expression onto her face, "Just be sure that you keep your promise."

**___________________________________________________________________**

**Note:** Sorry for repeating another segment (slightly modified) but it is Kanae's story as well, and seemed important to maintain the overall story-line.

The explanation of the royal family martial art is as historically accurate as I could get it. What I find most remarkable about the art is its emphasis on disarming and not causing permanent injuries. This is truly unique among the arts taught to the nobility. Most often there was little or no concern among the nobility about hurting the lower classes.

We start filming in the next chapter: Shuri Castle.


	4. Shuri Castle

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter Four – Shuri Castle**

Kotonami Kanae felt at peace for the first time in days as the airplane descended in Okinawa. Her friend was awake and recovering. Her stalker was dead; Kanae couldn't feel sorrow for the would-be star after she had witnessed his attempt to kill Kyoko. Today Kyoko was safely under the triple care of Kuu, Julie, and Kuon Hizuri; which left Kanae free to pursue filming.

A short bus ride down an empty early-morning highway led them to Shuri Castle. The castle, actually a re-built, though accurate, replica, would be the site of filming for the next two days. Time was of the essence; Shuri Castle was one of the most popular tourist stops in Okinawa, with a constant stream of visitors. All that the curate would allow was for a late opening and early closing of the castle on the slowest day of the week. Many of the inside shots would actually take place after the castle closed for the night. But the outside shots had to be started and completed within a total window of four hours, morning and evening.

The filming crews had flown in the night before. The castle staff were veterans; many, many meters of film had been shot using the castle. They were able to suggest the best lighting, the best angles, and the best places to conceal pick-up microphones. By the time Kanae, Hiou, and the others arrived everything was in readiness.

_**Author's Note:** The following scenes, and the scenes throughout this story, will be presented in the manner that the viewer would see them, not in the actual order in which they were filmed. You may also notice that I've occasionally included a character's thoughts; these were included in the script and it was the actor's responsibility to use his/her acting to help the audience understand._

Andy stood beside Kanae and Hanshiro as they watched Hiou filming his scenes. Andy would not be departing for two more days, so he was brought along to watch the filming and to continue his training. As interesting as the filming was, he was getting as much enjoyment out of watching Eguchi Hanshiro's failed attempts to attract Kanae's attention. She was truly an expert at deflecting would-be suitors. _Good-on-ya, lady. You can do better than that bloke_.

"Ready on the set! Scene 1: Take 1: Action!"

[Motobu Hiroji walks through the courtyard, barely acknowledging the bows of the servitors who step aside from their tasks to allow him to pass. His man-servant, Nagai Kenzo, follows as quickly as he can.

Scene switches to the inside of the main throne room. Sho Boku, the king of Ryukyu, is seated on his throne. Standing in front of him are several older Japanese men. They are bowing and turning to leave as Hiroji walks in. As they pass each other, the Japanese officials eye the teen disdainfully, while he looks at them with open disgust.

Hiroji's man-servant drops off near the entrance of the throne room. Hiroji is focused on his uncle, so he doesn't see the look of understanding that passes between the two Japanese officials and his man-servant. Hiroji steps up to the line in front of the throne and bows respectfully to Sho Boku.

"Rise, Hiroji. How was your schooling this morning?"

Hiroji's eyes narrowed slightly, "It was good, uncle," he replied cautiously.

"Oh, I'd heard that you were falling behind in your work." The king's eyebrows rose, challenging his nephew to dispute the information.

"I can catch up easily, your majesty. I will spend a portion of this evening on the work." Hiroji answered, hoping to avoid a lecture.

"Ambassador Shimata seems to think that you would benefit from some time spent training in his country."

Hiroji's eyes flickered anger and disgust, but he kept himself under control, "I can't see any benefit in that, uncle. The best teachers and the best schools are located in our country."

"That may be true, but one must be there in order to learn. Nevertheless, the ambassador seemed quite persistent in his request."

"My lord, I think that it is a mistake to give much place in your decision-making processes for requests from the Japanese." Hiroji paused in alarm as her realized that he might have overstepped his bounds. Hiroji was liked by his uncle, but that didn't imply permission to question the king's decisions. It also didn't give him permission to question his uncle's weak stance toward the Japanese officials who seemed to pervade every corner of the royal government like cockroaches. "I'm sorry, uncle. I've said too much."

Sho Boku regarded his teenaged nephew for an uncomfortably long period before he finally spoke. "You will understand someday Hiroji, that even a king can be caught in the winds of change. No man is entirely immune to progress."

Hiroji didn't understand. His eyes clearly showed that. The king sighed inwardly, "I will leave the question open for now. I expect to hear about your wonderful advances in education by this time next week. For now I believe that you have a Bijitsu lesson?"

Hiroji bowed to his uncle and rose to leave. As he began to descend the outside staircase he passed yet another Japanese delegation. "They're worse than termites!" He spoke to his man-servant, but he spoke loud enough that one of the two men, Furusawa Hitoshi, looked back angrily.]

"Cut! Great job everyone. We need to move quickly to the sword training scene. Move it, people, we're burning seconds."

Hiou, Andy, and Kanae walked together quickly to the smaller inner-courtyard. Kanae regarded her younger co-star, "I'm impressed; you've really improved, Hiou-san. I could understand your feelings of frustration and anger very clearly in that scene."

Hiou practically stumbled on his now overgrown feet. "Uh…Umm…," embarrassed, he adopted his usual cross attitude, "Of course. You just haven't seen me act in a year. I've become quite good, you know."

Kanae hid a smile. She knew herself well enough that she recognized the same tendency to act cross and irritable for what is was. "Well then, Uesugi-san, I won't insult you anymore by offering compliments."

"No! I mean… I didn't mean…," Hiou was red-faced with the idea that he had somehow offended the woman of his dreams.

Then Andy laughed and Kanae couldn't hold it back anymore. She smiled, "Gotcha. Learn to take a compliment; I meant it. You are becoming a true thespian."

"We're waiting, people!" Director Shinai called out.

Uesugi Ryotaru had been recruited to act out the scene as the Royal Trainer. With make-up and traditional garb he looked like a completely different person. His true character did leak out for a moment when he waggled his fake eyebrows at Kanae and Andy in passing. While they were stifling laughter, Director Shinai called out, "Quiet on the set. Scene 8, take one, roll 'em."

[Motobu Hiroji bowed to a tough, powerful-looking older man. Both man and teen were armed with Chinese-style swords strapped to their sides.

Shirotori Hito, the Royal Trainer, regarded the youth for a moment before speaking, "You seem out-of-sorts this morning, my young prince. Perhaps a good, hard workout would be in order?"

Hiroji looked alarmed for a moment, and then his eyes showed the joy of the challenge, "Hai, Shirotori-san. I'll try to take it easy on you."

The trainer laughed deeply and with menace, "Ah, the arrogance of youth. Then I shall _not_ take it easy on you."

Without any clear signal swords flew out of scabbards and clanged together. The stocky man and the skinny youth seemed to be trying to kill each other as they thrust, parried, and drove at each other's defenses. True swordsmanship is an art, and like any art there is a beauty to it. Even those who abhor violence can sometimes see the beauty and pseudo-choreography of two well-matched swordsman at work.

Andy Hammond watched his new friend in astonishment, seeing a new side of the younger boy that he hadn't guessed. Several Japanese films starring one or more of the Uesugi's had made it to Australia, so he had an inkling of their skills. But seeing them fight live was something entirely different.

Kanae watched the battle in consternation. In less than three months her character would be expected to stand toe-to-toe against the prince in a challenge battle. _How can I possibly get that good in three months?_ But she remembered Kyoko's rapid progress for her movie and she bit back her fear. _I will be ready for you, Hiou._

Hiou, for his part, was having the time of his life. He was being allowed to demonstrate his skill in front of the woman who he wanted to impress the most. Ryotaru was enjoying himself because felt his son's power for once. He was being pushed hard by the teen who seldom rose to his full potential. _Maybe I need to have Kotonami-san come to all of his sparring matches._

Both man and boy were grinning fiercely as they whirled and slashed and thrust and danced through an amazingly intricate series of moves. As Kanae watched, she remembered the nickname for Hiou she had only recently learned: "Taz"; now she understood.

Director Shinai was so captivated by the battle that he allowed it to run past the allotted time-space. He didn't even notice the curator of Shuri Castle standing next to him. It was the elder Uesugi who brought the battle to a close, still in the character of the royal instructor.

The two combatants bowed. "Very good, my prince. Are you feeling better now?"

Hitoshi nodded, "Yes… somewhat."

"Would you care to talk about it?"

Hiroji hesitated, but he held his instructor in the highest possible regard, so he decided to speak, "It's the Japanese infestation. They are everywhere, and they seem to be able to tell my uncle what to do."

Shirotori Hito regarded the youth speculatively, "Do you enjoy being a prince of the royal family?"

"Of course I do."

"But do you understand that this privilege comes with incredible responsibility?"

"What do you mean?"

"Every decision that Sho Boku makes affects the people of Ryukyu in some way; whether the decision is good or bad. He is a good and wise leader and he understands this. What would you like for him to do about the 'Japanese infestation,' as you call it?"

"I would like to see him drive them out of our country."

"And do you think that this is possible? Consider, for a moment: the Emperor has many tens-of-thousands of troops at his command. Your uncle has thousands. If he follows your idea, who do you think will win?"

Hiroji considered this carefully. "But isn't there something we can do?"

"I know that it rankles your young soul, but I'm afraid that the answer is no. If the king keeps things as they are, he can still exercise his influence for his people's benefit. If he tries to cast off the yoke of Japanese control, he will simply be swept away."

Hiroji was clearly not ready to listen, however. He promptly excused himself and walked out of the small court. His instructor watched him go and shook his head sadly.]

"Cut! Excellent work, gentlemen."

"Amazing!" the curator exclaimed, "Umm, would it be possible for them to do the same performance later today, for the public?"

The Uesugi's agreed, and most of the cast was dismissed until the evening, when the bulk of the inside filming would take place.

**____________________________________________________**

**Notes:** Sho Boku was the last ruler of Ryukyu. _Sho_ is the shortened title for _Shogun_. I haven't been able to discover if Boku was his first name or if it had some specific meaning and was used as a title.

The words "Japanese infestation" are Hiroji's, not mine. I believe that that is how the prince would feel about foreigners taking over his country.

If you ever have the chance to visit Okinawa, make sure that you take a trip to Shuri Castle. I have visited many European castles, but this castle has an entirely different feel. Even though the current castle is a restoration project, you can still feel the antiquity of the place and imagine the day-to-day life of the royals.

In response to Cactus2008: The movie is being filmed with the characters speaking in their language. In other words, both Japanese and Australian-style English are used. This requires subtitles, but that isn't that uncommon in a mixed-culture film. The producers intend to present the movie in both countries, with the necessary subtitles depending upon the primary language of the viewers.


	5. Runaway

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter Five – Runaway**

**IMPORTANT: **_'thats absurd.I LOVE IT' (yes, that's a pen-name) emailed me with a correction. On chapter 15, page 5 of the manga there is an author's note box where he writes that Kanae is supposed to be the same age as Kyoko. That makes her 18 at the time of this story, not 20. Based on the dialogue and the fact that she was already out of school, I had thought her older. Thank you 'thats absurd.I LOVE IT. I am making the corrections now._

During the main part of the day, while the castle was open for tourism, the cast and crew were released to either sleep or explore. Kanae, along with Hiou and Andy, toured the castle and examined all of the artifacts. She didn't mind being accompanied by the two younger teens because it helped to discourage the attentions of the numerous male tourists, especially U.S. military, who found her to be the most fascinating "sight" on the tour.

Even though it was her dream to become the most famous actress in Japan, she was thankful that she wasn't totally recognizable yet. Hiou was able to remain anonymous as well because of his amazing change in height and appearance in the last year.

Surprisingly, it was Andy Hammond who attracted the most notice. He had recently had strong supporting roles in several popular movies. An Australian group happened to be passing through at the same time as the trio. Suddenly two teen girls started screaming in excitement and crowding the bemused teen. He was a veteran, so he took it all in stride. Still, the three were glad when they were able to peal off to a private area set aside for the cast.

Of course, Hiou's anonymity only lasted until the early afternoon. The curator, true to his word, had highly publicized the Uesegis' sword demonstration throughout the morning. By the afternoon there was a large crowd gathered around the roped-off area in the large main courtyard. Director Shinai took advantage of the crowds by having posters of the movie strategically placed. He also recruited Kanae and Andy to act as "seconds." Their job was to wear period costume and present the swords to the two combatants.

Being true showmen, father and son wowed the spectators with the intricacy, athleticism, and speed of their combat. After a full battle with swords, they began switching through the other weapons, going from staff, to cane, to cudgel, and finally to paddle. It was an amazing performance. Both the curator and the crowd were pleased.

Then it was time for both Hiou and Kanae to film their daylight scenes.

**Note: **The daylight scenes were actually filmed in a wilderness area to the North of the city. The castle was later superimposed in the background.

**[**Motobu Hiroji rode his black stallion slowly through the crowded streets of Shuri. His manservant, Nagai Kenzo, rode slightly behind and to his left. As they made their way, the people of Shuri parted and bowed respectfully to the pair.

Hiroji made his way down to the waterfront market looking for something to distract his attention. He arrived at the docks and surveyed the variety of ships tied up and plying the water. He turned to his manservant, "Nagai-san, tell me a story about Australia."

"Yes, my prince. Would you like to hear about the gold diggings, the animals, or the wilderness?"

"The wilderness, I think."

"Yes, my liege," Hiroji was turned toward the water, so he didn't notice his retainer's crafty smile, "I left my family in the gold fields to seek adventure. Now Australia is an island, although a very great one, and the coastal areas are mostly green and flourishing. But the interior geography, what the settlers call "the outback," is dry and inhospitable. In the dry season you can go for days without finding water. Huge shallow lakes form in the rainy season. Always there are strange animals, some of them very dangerous. There a man who is worthy may challenge himself without interference. But if a man is unworthy, he will certainly perish"

Hiroji closed his eyes and smiled as the breeze blew against his face. "Tell me more about the animals."

"There is an animal called a kangaroo who looks somewhat like a hare, stands as tall as a young teen, and hops around on two large rear feet. There are crocodiles so long that they could not fit tail-to-head in your uncle's throne room. Everything there is bigger and wilder than anything that you can find here in Ryukyu."

_Scene fades with Hiroji looking longingly at the ships at dock as Nagai continues to talk._]

**[**Hiroji and his retainer were riding back up the long hillside toward the castle when they encountered another group descending. Hiroji recognized Hishida Euiko on the lead horse. Behind her were her lady's maids and two armed soldiers. The soldiers and the lady's maids bowed deeply to him.

Euiko only bowed midway and held the prince's eyes. "You didn't come to your calligraphy lesson this afternoon, my prince."

"I had other things on my mind. How are you, Euiko-san?" His face was slightly flushed as he looked at the beautiful young lady.

"I am well, my prince. But you would have known that if you had come to your lessons."

Hiroji chose to ignore her words, "Where are you going now? Do you need company?"

"I am going to the market to find healing herbs for my father's stomach condition. You, unfortunately, have another appointment with the king."

Hiroji's eyes went wide. He groaned dramatically and turned his horse back up the hill. As the prince and his retainer departed, Euiko's sympathetic eyes followed them. She shook her head and sighed in resignation. Then she and her entourage proceeded down the road toward the village.**]**

**[**Hishida knelt at a small table, crushing and mixing herbs in a mortar and pestle. She then scooped a dollop of the mixture into a cup and poured hot, steaming water from the tea pot.

_Scene switches to a handsome, upper-middle aged man sweating and looking miserable in a bed._

Euiko carried the tray in and gracefully knelt beside her father's bed, "Try this please, father."

"What is it?" He asked gruffly and doubtfully.

Euiko gave him a sweet smile, "Just trust me, father. This will help."

Hishida Ishi grunted his doubt, but he submitted to his daughter's wishes and drank the mixture. As he drank his eyes grew wide with alarm, but he finished the mixture. When he took the cup away from his mouth his mouth and face twisted in a series of comical grimaces, "You're trying to put me in an early grave, daughter."

Euiko's face became a mask of pain. A tear rolled down her cheek. Realizing his mistake, Hishida Ishi sputtered, "No… I didn't mean it… I'm sure this medicine will do the trick… you always take good care of me, daughter."

He reached a rough hand over and cupped her face. His thumb gently wiped moisture out of the corner of her eye. Trying to distract her, he asked, "Did the prince come to his lessons today?"

Euiko scowled, "Of course not. Today he 'had other things on his mind.'" She imitated the prince's haughty manner of speech.

Ishi sighed, "Unfortunately, he does. A prince of the kingdom, especially a young firebrand such as he is, must find the presence of a foreign power in on this land to be quite putrid. Worse still, he knows that he will never be in power to do anything about it, now that the king has his own son."

"But shouldn't he still be pursuing his education. Surely he will hold a position of great authority someday! He's a man, so he'll be able to do whatever he wants in government."

Ishi saw his daughter's frustration, patted her shoulder, "Sometimes I think that I made a mistake teaching you so many of the manly arts. It has made you long to fill positions in government that you will never be allowed to fill. Was I cruel to teach you so much?"

"No, father! I loved your lessons. I want to learn. I want to learn everything. I want to _do_ everything. I don't want to be some man's subservient shadow and baby machi…" Euiko stopped, blushed at her words.

Ishi chuckled, though painfully. "I understand, Euiko. You were born with the spirit and soul of a warrior, not a washer-maid. But I do hope that someday you will give me at least _one_ grandchild?" He delivered the last in a comical, pleading way. It dispelled her embarrassment.

_Scene fades with father and daughter laughing companionably._**]**

**[**Hiroji knelt at the dinner table, picking at his food and waiting for Sho Boku to speak. The king's wife, holding their young son, watched the young prince suspiciously.

When a servant tried to replenish the king's food, he waved her off. "Hiroji, I've come to a decision. I think that you would benefit from some time away. Tomorrow I will be sending you to the Emperor's court in Japan." He ignored Hiroji's look of shock and consternation. "The Japanese are our closest neighbors and greatest allies. You need to learn more about them."

"But uncle! My liege!" Hiroji's protests were stopped when Sho Boku raised an imperious hand.

"Enough. You will go to your rooms now and prepare yourself for this journey. You will need your learning scrolls and your training weapons. The ambassador has suggested that military training would be best for a young man of your… ah… temperament.

Motobu Hiroji's face was a mask of barely-controlled outrage as he stood, bowed, and quickly left the royal dining room.

Sho Boku's eyes followed the young man's departure with a look of sadness. The king's wife, on the other hand, had a look of triumph on her face.**]**

**[**_The scene opens to Hiroji throwing his clothing on the bed and ranting as his man-servant tries to arrange things._

"Japan! He wants me to go and train in _Japan!_"

"Yes, my prince. That is terrible."

"As if that bunch of greedy, grasping weaklings can teach a prince of Ryukyu anything!"

"Of course they can't, my prince."

"Ever since their son was born, his new wife has been trying to find a way to get rid of me! It's not like I wasn't planning on being loyal to the little brat."

"Yes, my prince."

Hiroji sat down on the windowsill of his room and looked out into the night. He watched another tall ship warp out of harbor. His face became speculative.

_In the background, Nagai Kenzo bustled around, in his continued attempt to restore order. Hiroji looked at him, turned back toward the window._

"Nagai, I think that will be all for tonight. You may go now."

The man-servant, still holding a shirt he was folding, looked up in confusion. "But, prince… what about getting ready for your trip?"

"I will take care of it."

Nagai nodded, bowed, and headed for the door. He had a devious smile on his face as he departed.**]**

**[**_The scene opens to sailors swarming over a Dutch brigantine in the setting evening, preparing it for sailing. The captain, who was standing on the dock and supervising the loading, looked up as a horseman approached. He saw a well-dressed teen expensive silks sitting astride a magnificent black stallion._

"Ach du liebe…" The captain paused, tried to pull from his limited oriental trade-speak, "How… may… I… you… to help?"

The young man smiled, "Do you the English talk?"

The captain smiled, "Ya… yes. How can I help you?"

"I have wish to travel Australia. You are there going now, yes?"

"Ya, I am sailing to Australia next. We sail at dawn. Do you have ze money?"

"How much is?"

The captain's eyes narrowed slightly, "I cannot fit ze horse. For you I will charge three gold coins." His speculative look showed that he doubted that the teen could produce that much.

"I have this," Hiroji's put on his best bargaining face, "I will pay two now, and the other only when we arrive."

"Deal… ach… you are not in trouble here? Zere vill be no authorities?"

It took Hiroji a moment to translate. He shook his head no, "There will be nobody. You … sail… first of sunrise?"

"Ya."

"Good then. We deal?"**]**

_The following scenes will be described in minimal detail in order to maintain the clarity of the story for the reader._

_Scene 10 – Nagai Kenzo meets secretly with the Japanese ambassador to tell him that the prince has run away. The ambassador is pleased, hands the man-servant a pouch of coins and tells him to disappear._

_Scene 11 – The Dutch brigantine warps out of harbor in the early morning light. Hiroji pokes his head out of the companionway hatch and smiles as the breeze blows against his face._

_Scene 12 – There is pandemonium in the castle as people rush to and fro looking for the prince._

_Scene 13 – Hishida Ishi bows before Sho Boku to tell him that the prince has run away. The king's wife, bouncing a crying baby, scowls in anger. She speaks up and blames Ishi for failing to do his duty as the major domo of the castle._

_Scene 14 _**[**_The scene opens with Hishida Ishi sitting uncomfortably on a cushion in his rooms while Euiko stalks back and forth in a rage._

"It's not fair, father! That _boy_ runs away while your sick and _you_ get blamed? How can that be right?"

"Relax, my child. People often say things in anger that they regret when they calm. She is a new mother and has much on her mind." He rubbed his stomach as if trying to take away his pain.

"If anyone is to blame, _she is!_ Ever since her son was born she has been trying to find ways to drive Hiroji away…"

"Stop!" Ishi commanded sternly. "The _she_ you are talking about is the king's consort. You know better than to speak like this, daughter."

Euiko looked abashed at upsetting her father, but the fire remained in her eyes. "But father, if she doesn't relent, you could lose your position. You know that several of the other Udun families would love to supplant you as major domo."

"We shall have to just wait and see. If I had a son, I would send him after the prince. I am not fit to travel, and you cannot." He groaned as he rose, "for now, my daughter, I need to rest. It has been a trying morning."

Euiko watched her father step through the curtains into his sleeping chamber. She continued to stalk back and forth until her eyes caught the sword hanging on the mantle. She looked at it for a long moment; and then her eyes took on a look of decision and determination.**]**

**[**_Light was flooding in the window when Hishida Ishi, looking better, stepped back through the curtains into the main room of his castle apartment. He saw a note placed on the low table, sat, and began to read. Then he looked up at the mantle in alarm. The family sword was gone. In shock he returned his eyes to the paper in front of him. _

_As he reads, Euiko's voice is heard._

"Dear Father,

Please forgive me for what I am doing, but I must do this in order to protect you and our family name. I have taken the family sword as protection and to ensure the support of our ancestors. I believe that I know where the prince has run to. He often spoke of his desire to adventure in Australia. I checked, and there was a Dutch vessel that sailed yesterday morning. By the time you read this I will also be sailing. I will bring him back, father. You have raised me to be strong, wise, and resourceful. I will not fail you.

Please be well, father, and say a prayer for me to mother's shrine.

Love, Euiko**]**

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** A long chapter… I hope that it makes sense. Please, please review.

I was once in Romania and had a conversation with a Hungarian, a Frenchman, a Dutchman, and a Gypsy who only spoke Romajii (sp?)(We were all working on a Gypsy orphanage). Whenever anyone spoke, the others had to translate into the other languages they spoke so that everyone present could understand. Sometimes a sentence had to be translated three times before everyone understood. It was actually fun! Anyway, that is what I was trying to convey at the Dutch captain and the Ryukyuan prince tried to communicate in English.

**Another note:** I know that the Japanese were actually called the Nipponese during one portion of their history which coincides with the time-frame of this story. I chose to use the term Japanese to make it easier for the modern reader.

I happily accept the correction concerning Kanae's actual age. Frankly, I'm pleased about the reduction in age differences. It will make for a more plausible storyline. Please don't be too cruel to me about my mistake, I really, honestly and truly did try to find her correct age.


	6. The Bad Penny

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter Six – The Bad Penny**

Kotonami Kanae made it back into town just in time to join Amamiya Chiori and Aiko Mari in preparation for Kyoko's release from the hospital. In the last year Kanae had been an increasingly regular guest at the Darumaya. The Taisho and Okami-san always greeted her now as a part of their family, just as they did with the other two girls. The Darumaya closed after the lunch rush so that they could spend the afternoon decorating for Kyoko's welcome home party.

The two girls and the couple knew her too well, so she didn't even try to pretend disdain for the whole proceedings. After almost losing her best friend she was willing to act just a little sentimental. The guests started arriving around 3pm. The place was becoming increasingly crowded by 4pm. Hiou arrived, dragging Andy along, shortly after 4pm.

Andy fidgeted, feeling like an intruder, until Amamiya Chiori assured him that he was welcome and that he _had_ to experience Kyoko before returning to Australia. By the time he met Aiko Mari he was becoming convinced that Japanese girls were definitely the cutest in the world (He's a teenaged boy, cut him some slack).

Hiou was agitated as well as he waited to gain Kanae's attention. When he finally did, he showed her the flowers that he brought for Kyoko. Then, red-faced, he muttered something about having extras and thrust another bouquet into Kanae's hands. He promptly whirled around and disappeared to the farthest part of the room away from her.

His sudden gift and his precipitous departure left Kanae momentarily speechless. Had he stayed in front of her, she probably wouldn't have accepted the flowers. But he had unwittingly solved that problem by leaving her no choice but to take them. She was still holding them when Amamiya and Mari sidled up to her.

"How sweet! And my, how he's grown," Amamiya teased.

Aiko Mari, on the other hand, looked serious; almost pleading, "Be nice to him, Kanae-chan. He really is a sweet boy underneath the bossy exterior. And you have to admit, that took a lot of guts."

Kanae met her new friend's eyes and nodded. Then she went into the Darumaya kitchen to beg for a vase.

The shouted word, "Surprise!" told her that Kyoko was here. She took just a moment longer to arrange the flowers and then left them on the counter to go and see her friend.

Director Shinai had watched the news about Kyoko's attack just like everyone else in Japan. He knew exactly what impact all of the publicity would have in the box office when _Ronin's Children_ was released. He liked and respected Mogami Kyoko, but he was also concerned about the success of his own movie. That is why he had gone to the cutting room immediately after landing back in Tokyo. And that is why clips from the filming at Shuri Castle were already on the movie website and in the newsroom files in Japan and Australia before the guests at Kyoko's party had even gone home for the night.

"Lady Erika-sama, your commercial should air soon!"

Lithe, supple, and exquisitely tan, the blonde slid up out of her Olympic-sized pool and sauntered gracefully to her patio table. She ignored her four beautiful male shadows who patted her with towels as she moved. This was a new group of lackeys, the other three had failed her.

A big-screen television was wheeled out onto the patio. She didn't like the way that the sun glared, so one lackey, she kept forgetting his name, brought out a huge umbrella to block the sun. Of course there wasn't any stand to hold the umbrella. He would have to hold it in-place until she was done watching the television; but what did _that_ matter?

Her commercial would start anytime in the next seven minutes. Until then she had a lackey mute the set so that she didn't have to listen to the local news lady's frightful Australian accent. This country might be the birthplace of her mother, but _she_ had learned _proper_ pronunciation of the English language from her _Oxford_ tutor.

She sat impatiently and watched for her latest commercial. Her attention was elsewhere until a familiar face suddenly caught her eye. She lurched up, "turn it up, NOW!"

"My lady?" The man was confused. Her commercial wasn't even on yet. "Give me that!" she snapped, snatching the remote out of his hands. It took her a moment to find the right button. She slapped at the man's attempt at assistance until she finally hit the right button and the sound came on.

"_…ri Castle, in Okinawa, where four members of the movie "Runaway Royalty" gave a demonstration of martial arts skills. My audience will notice that one of the cast members is none other than our own Andy Hammond. The beautiful young lady is Kanae Kotonami, the leading lady in the film. The demonstration you are about to see is just a part of the incredible skill of this father and son team. (As the lady talked the boy and man were giving an amazing demonstration of swordsmanship). You may recognize the father as Ryotaru Uesugi, the martial arts actor from popular Australian movies such as "Final Strike," and "Death Blow." His son, Hiou Uesugi, is only thirteen but he is already a black belt in three major martial arts disciplines._

_"The Japanese cast of "Runaway Royalty" will be flying to Australia soon to meet up with their Australian counterparts. The entire cast and crew will spend the next three months around Melbourne and in the inner farmland region to the west._

_"In other news…_

Kouenji Erika, a daughter of the Kouenji Group, was never able to see her newest Australian commercial that day. That is because she pushed the giant widescreen television, cart and all, into the pool before she stalked off to her rooms.

Two days later a very sore Andy Hammond sat on an airplane bound for Melbourne. He had learned more about martial arts in the last week than he ever had in his previous seven years learning Karate. He had also made several amazing new friends.

Hiou, of course, was somebody he hoped to call "friend" for many years to come. The boy was just amazing, even if he was wishing upon a star by pursuing a lady five years older than he was.

Kotonami Kanae was also amazing. Not only was she beautiful, but she was a true professional. She had worked hard at learning Oke Hiden Bijutsu before the trip to Shuri Castle. But afterward she had become almost obsessive about improving her skills. He hadn't been able to keep up.

He met Mogami Kyoko, not once, but several times. She wasn't at her best, having just left the hospital. During his stay in Japan he had the opportunity to see her performances as "Mio" and "Natsu." He had also seen several clips of her work as "Enoki Masami." Put simply, when she was in character, she was hot! But in person she was the friendliest and simplest girl he had ever met. He _had_ met her Mio on one occasion: she had taken him aside and spoken to him about taking care of Kanae while she was in Australia; for just a moment, Mio slipped through. He quickly promised that _nothing, nothing whatsoever_ would happen to her raven-haired friend.

Perhaps the most amazing meeting was with Tsuruga Ren. He couldn't believe that he was actually meeting the son of Hizuri Kuu, one of Andy's favorite actors. Of course, it wasn't that in itself that astounded him; it was his story. This man had actually left his parents at age 15, moved to another country, taken a new name, and then risen to be the number one male actor in Japan! It sounded just like a movie.

But then what could he expect from the boyfriend of a girl who had just recently survived a high-speed chase at extreme speeds on a curvy mountain road while a dangerous stalker was trying to kill her. And they thought Australians were wild!

His eyes closed and his thoughts drifted to all of the really cute Japanese girls he had met. They were not what he had expected at all. Up until now, his experiences with a certain half-Japanese girl had been… _Hey mate! Don't ruin perfectly good memories by thinking about her._

When he finally exited the plane he automatically switched on him phone. He continued walking to the baggage claim while it cycled through its start-up menu. Finally it was ready for use. As he started to call his parent he stopped, noticing that he had a message.

The name of the sender flashed across the screen. _Erika? Ugh, maybe I should just delete it. Whenever my spoiled cousin calls she always wants something. She's like a bad penny, she just keeps turning up._

As he continued to walk he reflected on how different some Japanese girls were than _certain_ other ones. _Thank God they're not all like her._

* * *

**Notes:** Sorry for the very short chapter. It may be a little while before I can post next, as I have a busy week ahead. Nonetheless, I will try to post soon.

Please review. It always helps to know what you think of the story so far.


	7. The Manager Auditions

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter Seven – The Manager Auditions**

_In keeping with the timeline of Always With You, the following takes place the day after the LoveMe graduation party._

A manager often spends more hours with a talent than a husband and wife spend together. A manager must keep their talent out of trouble. A manager must keep their talent healthy. A manager must keep their talent on the move. Essentially, a manager's job is to eke the best possible results out of every waking moment of their talent's day. Therefore, finding the right manager for a budding new talent is extremely difficult; ask Matsushima-san.

But finding the right manager for the Laurel and Hardy of the LoveMe section can be nigh on impossible; in this case… it might be safer _not_ to ask Matsushima-san.

The morning after the LoveMe graduation finds our two young heroines seated on one side of a long table while the aforementioned head of the Talent and Acting Section of LME paraded one candidate after another before the two girls.

To be fair our two young ladies, you must understand that 1) Kyoko had just been informed that her mother had passed away, and 2) Kanae absolutely did not want a manager; manager's tried to control your life, and Kanae had been responsible for herself since she was in middle school.

But, then again, you really had to wonder where Matsushima-san found these people. Ok, enough stalling… on with the story:

Our first contestant… _Ok, ok! I'll behave!_

The first candidate to be presented was Egami Takao. At first glance the thirty-something lady seemed fine, unti… "Oh, oh, oh, I can't believe this! I'm in the _same room_ as Mogami Kyoko! I _just love_ your characters! My favorite is Mio, no wait… Natsu… well, I really like them both. I _saw_ the clips of your new character, Enoki Masami; you look _so cool!_ Could you… maybe… do that thing with the spinning crescent kick? No, wait, you're in a wheelchair. _Of course you can't_, I'm being silly. Oh, I saw all about that nasty boy who tried to run you over on television! You lead _such an interesting life!_ It must have been so-o exciting being in a _real chase scene!_ I mean…"

Her monologue was cut short as she felt a cold, eerie feeling wrap around her. She looked up to see Mio in place of Kyoko. "So, you think that it would be _exciting_ to be chased by someone? Maybe like a stalker who is trying to kill you? Perhaps, after the interview of course, we can arrange for you to experience it yourself. By the way, where did you park?"

The first victim… I mean candidate… suddenly remembered that she had something to do… right away. Matsushima sent in the next candidate.

Horri Okiku was the next candidate. She looked to be in her forties, a pleasant-faced, motherly type. "My, but you girls are both so pretty! You should really meet my son; he's very handsome, has a good job, and he's _very_ eligible. Not you, of course, Mogami-san. You're already being chased by too many men. But you, Kotonami-san, would be a perfect wife for my son! Oh, and you're so beautiful, I bet you'd make wonderful grandchildren. Do you like children?"

"Only the plump ones, Horri-san," Kanae gave her best evil-witch smile, "the scrawny, stringy ones get caught in your teeth. Tell me, has your son purchased life insurance?" (Ok, so maybe Kanae has been spending a _little _too much time around Kyoko. She mixed a little Wednesday Adams in with a little Natsu, and walla, exit one matchmaker.)

Fugunaga Iku walked in next… or rather, she started to walk in, stepped back out, stepped back in, looked around the room in a confused manner, was startled to see two young ladies across the room.

"Fugunaga-san?" Kyoko asked the bewildered lady.

The thirty-something lady gasped, "You know my name? Have we met?"

"Are you Fugunaga Iku?" Kanae asked in frustration.

"Well… ye-es. That _is_ my name. But… how do you know me? Wait, you're not a bill collector or something, are you?"

"NEXT!"

Kowagichi Oki walked purposefully into the room. She gave the two young ladies a professional bow, appropriate for a woman in an expensive business suit, and gracefully took her seat. Both girls were favorably impressed, until she started speaking.

"The first thing that we need to do, Mogami-san, is dye your hair back to its natural color. It's inappropriate the way young Japanese girls dye their hair these days. That's probably the reason you're getting a reputation about all these men who are chasing you around. And you, Kotonami-san; we need to cut off about a foot of that mop you drag around on your head…"

While the lady droned on, the two girls looked at each other. "Mio?" Kyoko asked.

"…and that's another thing: girls shouldn't be riding around on motorcycles in the first place…"

"How about Enoki Masami?"

"…you should expect stalkers when you parade around in tight leather suits…"

"It wouldn't work as well in a wheelchair. Besides, I'd need my sword. Wait! Didn't you bring yours to practice with?"

"Are you two even listening to me?!" The lady demanded sternly.

"Of course, Kowagichi-san," Kanae purred as she reached for the bundle leaning against the wall behind her. "I suppose that you don't think we should be in action films either?"

"Well, I don't see anything wrong with action films," Kowagichi mused, "just not with a woman as the hero. Women should be sweet and vulnerable. Men like to see themselves as the protectors…"

Kanae was Euiko now, strong, resourceful, powerful, "Actually, Kowagichi-san, I rather enjoy being the strong, self-sufficient type." She extracted the brilliantly polished sword from its sheath. "I like to think of myself much like this sword," she turned the blade back and forth, catching the light against its polished surfaces. "The sword is beautiful; it is a work of art. It is strong; it cannot be easily broken. And it is purposeful…"

Euiko walked, or rather almost danced around the table. "…If called upon, this beautiful, strong piece of art can become deadly." Euiko suddenly started flowing through her basic sword kata. As she floated through the motions she transitioned into the more complicated katas. Her movements took her in dizzying steps around the bewildered older woman's chair. Although the sword never came close, it flew past in whistling arcs that had the lady trying to make her self smaller and smaller in her seat. Euiko was flying now, her entire body, not just the sword, spinning and whirling in an intricate and deadly dance of death. (The truth is, her movements were still quite clumsy in her own eyes; but in the eyes on Kowagachi-san…)

And then, suddenly, she stopped with the sword pointing directly at the older lady, "Now wasn't that fun?"

In her wheelchair, Natsu clapped and gave the other girl a gratifide smile. "Wonderful! I wasn't bored at all! Do it again?"

Matsushima opened the door to step in just as Kowagachi Oki scurried hurriedly out. Matsushima watched her go and then turned his bewildered gaze upon the girls. Kyoko, seated in her wheelchair, was smiling benignly. Kanae appeared calm and composed as she aimed the three-foot long sword at the entrance of its sheath and slammed it home. "What exactly did you just do to her?"

"Send us another candidate like her, Matsushima-san, and I'll be happy to show you. Or would you care for a more direct demonstration?"

As the man wisely exited the room, Kyoko smiled at her friend, "You've really improved quickly. Keep that up and you'll be ready for the fight scene with Hiou in no time."

"Actually, I'm waiting for you to get back on your feet so that I can test my skills against yours."

Kyoko gave her friend her best "bring it on" smile of anticipation.

* * *

Renate Analise DeGarmo of Interpol frowned at the report she was flipping through. It had been six months; the trail had gone icy cold. _"Cameo," how does a guy who looks like you just disappear?_

Half of the police agencies in the world had been on alert, looking for the "pretty boy" gone bad. Part of the problem was that nobody had a photograph of him. All of his kidnapping victims had described him as "beautiful," "handsome," even "gorgeous; they worked with sketch artists, but nobody had a photograph. In his first two kidnappings he had taken his money and returned his victim as-promised. This last time he had deliberately left the teenaged girl tied up in a hole in the ground. This escalation worried Renate. The money obviously wasn't enough anymore; now he wanted to flex his muscles and show his power.

It was Sergio Fabriani, Renate's assistant, who had found the girl within hours of her oxygen running out. Now, six months later, he was finally taking his well-earned vacation. There was no resolution on the man who called himself "Cameo."

Renate knew that it was only a matter of time before he struck again.

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** Please forgive me for pulling in OC characters that I have already used in _Convergence Zone._ This story and that one have absolutely no connection. Also, the events that surrounded Renate DeGarmo have not taken place. Sometimes, when I "imaginate" a character they become very alive to me. When I was plotting out this story, I just _knew_ that she had to be in it. I am including her partner as well. So please indulge me, and I hope that you come to like her as much as I do.

Please review. It helps me to know that I'm staying on the right track.


	8. On to Australia!

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter Eight – On to Australia!**

A little known trade secret in Hollywood is the "stolen poster" competition. It began around the time of _Gone with the Wind_. The posters were so beautiful that they began to disappear off of the building walls where they were hung. At first it was an annoyance to the producers when theater managers kept calling in requests for more posters. But then one bright young man pointed out that it was an indication of just how popular the movie was going to be when it was finally released. His prediction proved to be correct. _Gone with the Wind_ was a box office smash-hit. Later, at the opening night party, one of the producers was heard to brag that his movie's poster was the "most stolen poster" in the history of film.

From then on, and to this day, there is an informal, secretive, and yet extremely competitive tally kept by the major Hollywood movie producers to see which movie wins the "stolen poster" competition.

Of course, Japanese culture being so rich in courtesy and etiquette, that would _never_ happen in _Japan!_ (yeah right) Then again, if you dress Kotonami Kanae in the richest royal silks… and you take her incredible raven hair and do it up in the ancient style on top of her head with jeweled hairpins (incidentally thereby exposing her long, graceful neck)… and then you sit her on a beautiful, ornamented black stallion… and then you take a photograph with a rugged, handsome Australian cowboy in the background while superimposing a galloping prince flying across the rugged terrain in the foreground… and you place this all on one magnificent poster… I think you get the idea. It was just too much to throw at the normally well-behaved Japanese teen population.

It wasn't just the teens that noticed, of course. Kotonami Kanae was beautiful by almost any man's standard. More than a few of the posters were actually stolen by the employees of the theaters themselves. These were sold at top prices to other teens, and not a few adults. _If_ the Japanese producers were having such a competition (I'm _not_ suggesting that they are, but_ if they were_), then this is one competition between Kyoko and Kanae where Kanae came out on top. Kyoko's _Ronin's _Children poster, with Enoki Masami holding her sword in the misty night, with her motorcycle in the background, was also a hot item. But the Japanese people (especially the aforementioned adult males) still have a soft spot in their heart for traditional Japanese costume. Neither Kanae nor Kyoko were told any of this, of course.

Because of this mania Kanae was entered into another competition that she had also never considered signing up for: Japan's Most Beautiful Woman. Every year for many years a poll is posted prominently in Tokyo Premiere Magazine, and on its sister website. The poll asks the simple question, "Who do you think is the most beautiful woman in Japan?" For the first month, names are collected. In the September issue the top 100 submitted names, along with photographs, are posted; readers are then asked to vote.

Now, before all of the Kyoko fans out there start emailing me and saying "What about Kyoko, YOU JERK!" please understand: Kyoko had undoubtedly made an impact on the male hearts of this island nation; but she also confused and scared them. Each time Kyoko appeared on the screen, she was someone entirely different (and often frightening). Men are simple creatures… they just can't handle being confused like that. In my defense I will point out that Kyoko was so thrilled to see her friend nominated that she started to hop on her still-casted leg. Mari and Amamiya had to physically restrain her to keep her from hurting herself. I would also like to note that Kyoko voted for her friend ten times (a drop in the bucket to the total vote count).

None of Kanae's friends told her about the poll. One of the most endearing qualities of the raven-haired girl was her attitude toward her own looks. Kanae knew that she was beautiful, but it wasn't something that defined her existence. She wanted to become the most famous actress in Japan. She knew that her looks would open doors, but she wanted her talent as an actress to be what people remembered in the end. The three girls, who knew her better than she knew herself, were correct in suspecting that Kanae would be annoyed about the poll.

Kanae didn't find out about the contest until she was on the airplane. The businessman who was seated next to her, bored with studying his prospectus, rifled through the magazines in the seat pocket until he pulled out a copy of Tokyo Premiere. Kanae, who was spending her time reading about Australia in the 19th century, first noticed the man when he kept looking at the magazine, and then at her. She felt her irritation level rising as he kept glancing at her, obviously hoping to catch her attention.

"What do you want?!"

"Umm, Kotonami-san, would you be willing to sign your picture for me?"

Kanae was startled, but she politely took the open magazine and looked at her picture, which was featured twice. On the right was her publicity photo along with several other nominees for "Most beautiful woman in Japan." To the left was a full-page copy of the _Runaway Royalty_ poster (Director Shinai had struck again). Before she had even finished signing the man's copy, a lady from across the aisle was pleadingly extending her copy. Eventually the captain had to make an announcement, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats for the remainder of the flight. As you know, we have a young Japanese celebrity on this flight who is featured in your courtesy copy of Tokyo Premier Magazine. For her comfort, and for everybody's safety, we beg you not to approach her during the flight. Kotonami Kanae has consented to sign any and all copies once we land in Melbourne."

* * *

Renate DeGarmo's morning was starting out well until she read the seventh message in her inbox.

It ready simply, "She's blond. She's beautiful. And she's mine. Love, Cameo."

Just as she had feared, he was back, and ready to strike again.

* * *

Hiou was as impatient as a racing horse in the starting gate. He had been in Australia, filming, for the last five days. Today he was waiting, along with Andy Hammond, to pick Kotonami Kanae up from the airport. The final two weeks before he had flown to Australia had been bliss as he trained for at least three hours per day with the woman of his dreams. This last five days without her had been torture. But now he would see her again. Hiou intended to maximize every moment that he was able to spend with her.

One thing that he disliked about the script for _Runaway Royalty _is that most of the first half of the story had him filming in an entirely different location than Kanae. It bothered him even more that Neil Grant, the handsome Australian, would be filming with Kanae for almost that entire time.

The last week of filming had been fun. Even though Hiou had acted in several action films, this was the first where he had worked on such a far-ranging landscape. They had filmed already at Melbourne City Studios (see disclaimer), around Broken Hill, and on a sheep-farm to the west of Melbourne. Now that Kanae was here they would be flying to Kununurra to film their frontier-town scenes.

Andy and Hiou had managed to keep a relatively low profile as they waited for Kanae to arrive. They had worn nondescript clothing, baseball caps, and fake glasses provided by the studio. Hiou knew that Kanae would be tired, and wouldn't want to be bothered with publicity. Unfortunately, neither teen had expected the throng that followed the harassed looking beauty out of the terminal gate. Kanae kept her promise, sitting at a table and signing each and every copy of Tokyo Premiere. The airlines had to pull out extra copies from stock for those who didn't have a copy (more than a few went around again to get additional copies signed).

When Andy and Hiou walked up to greet Kanae, many of the passengers recognized one or the other of them, which touched off another frenzy of autograph seekers. It took another thirty minutes before the three very exhausted young celebrities climbed into Andy's truck and headed to Melbourne City Studios.

Kanae was so gratified to be with two people she knew well (who weren't asking for autographs) that she was genuinely open and friendly. Hiou never wanted the trip to end.

* * *

Kouenji Erika ground her teeth as she tried to appear friendly and pleasant. The truth of her feelings was obvious if anyone were to look at the magazine crushed in her hands. _Kotonami Kanae. Why? Why does she always win? _It was the raven-haired girl who had first made Erika feel defeat. Never before that day had any person, girl or boy, man or woman, denied her what she wanted. But then Kotonami Kanae beat her out for the lead role she really wanted. And then she played the part so well that even Erika's father complimented the girl.

From that point on Erika used all of her money and all of her family's power to keep her on top. She bribed teachers to make _her_ the lead. She promised favors to have the other students make _her_ the president of the drama club. And she used every devious means available to keep Kanae down. And it all felt empty because she knew that she had to cheat to win.

She trained as a thespian, a singer, an equestrian, and a ballerina; all so that she could fend off the raven-haired girl who just got more beautiful every year. She even gave up her posh private schools to follow Kotonami Kanae to her common public school. And all because she knew, deep in her heart, that if she even once let up, Kanae would pass her; and she would _never_ catch up.

She had been on vacation when Kotonami Kanae had slipped through and auditioned with LME. It was the greatest day of her life up until that point when her spies told her that Kanae had failed. Finally, it was over! But Kanae stayed with LME, and once again Erika had to guard.

She should have been able to be happy. _She_ was in commercials. _She_ performed in plays. _She _performed her ballet in front of hundreds! But some part of her was always afraid of the day that Kotonami Kanae would catch up.

And then she did. It should have been so easy to steal that Curara commercial from Kanae. She _had_ her. She _had_ already won. She had seen it on Kanae's face. But then the other girl had shown up. And no matter what she tried, the two of them had defeated her again. Worse still, Kanae had lectured her and dared to tell her that she wasn't a worthy rival!

In the last two years Kanae had acted in two dramas and multiple commercials. Now she would star in a debut movie. _Wasn't that enough?_ But no, now her rival was being nominated for _"Most Beautiful Woman in Japan!"_ Arrgh!

This time would be different. Sure, she had used her power, and her annoying cousin, to get a part in this movie. But now _she_ would use her talent steal the show _once and for all_. She would show Kanae who the better actress was. She would show Kanae that she was her true rival... and then she would destroy her!

The trio arrived just as everyone was finishing their lunch. Director Shinai saw Kanae and stood up. He motioned for the three young people to come over so that he could informally introduce her to her Australian counterparts. He was extremely pleased with Kanae's nomination and wanted to show her off. He was also pleased with what all this publicity would do for his movie.

For a girl who only had two years in the industry, Kotonami Kanae's star was rising fast. If she did well on this movie it would only seal her destiny. The director thought that she should be gloriously happy at this moment.

So why did she look so horrified?

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** First of all, you will have to decide if the mythology of the "stolen poster" contest is true or not. My sources say yes.

Tokyo Premiere Magazine is my own invention. If there is actually a magazine by that name, I will change the name in this story.

Melbourne City Studios is the real name of the studio where many recent hits have been filmed. I do not own any part of it.

Kununurra is a town on the west coast where several recent projects requiring a "frontier town" look were filmed. I searched, but couldn't find the equivalent of a Universal Studios Backlot in Australia.

Please review. It encourages me when I'm having insomnia at 2am in the morning. One more thing: I am still looking for a manga artist who would like to take on a new project. Please message me.


	9. Throwing down the gauntlet

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter Nine – Throwing down the gauntlet**

Now, I mentioned in passing that Kotonami Kanae was even more beautiful when she was upset of angry. Well, to give her credit, Kouenji Erika is no slouch either. Thus a convivial and quiet lunch was disrupted by the scene of two very beautiful young ladies squaring off in the dining room of Melbourne City Studios.

"What are you doing here?" Kanae ground out through clenched teeth.

"What do you think I'm doing here? I'm here to bury you." Three out of four of Erika's retainers started to step in front of Erika to protect her, but she waved them off.

Kanae raised one eyebrow as her cold eyes surveyed her enemy, "And just how do you plan to do that? Up to your same old tricks?"

"No! This time I'll use my acting talent to bury you. I'm going to shine so bright in this movie that people won't even see you."

"Oh, that would be rich! You mean you actually intend to use _talent_ to compete with me? And how long will it take before you start using your dirty tricks and you money? Are you even _able_ to stand on your own two feet, Erika-san?"

Director Shinai had been skeptical when Andy introduced his cousin to him. He wasn't pleased with the way that her father had purchased a stake in the movie; he didn't want anyone telling him how to direct his movie. But the young lady who had been cast as the Stewart daughter had been injured in a surfing accident, and he had needed a replacement. Erika was a triple blessing because she was beautiful, talented, and knew Japanese. In fact, she was half-Japanese, although she didn't look like it.

She had never said anything about knowing Kotonami Kanae. It was obvious to Shinai that the two girls not only knew each other, but hated each other. "Um, ladies… I can see that this isn't going to work out. Kouenji-san, I'm afraid…"

"NO!" Both girls blurted out at once. Erika was so startled hearing the word from Kanae that she looked at her raven-haired enemy in stunned silence.

"Director," Kanae said in a cold voice, "I want this over with, once and for all. I want Kouenji-san to act in this movie. In fact, I want you to make sure that she has a part that is worthy of notice; re-write the whole script if you have to."

She turned back to the still-stunned blond, "I accept your challenge, Erika-san. I'll compete with you and we'll see who is the better actress. But if you want to be acknowledged, you have to earn it with your own true talent. That means no money and no dirty tricks. And another thing: you have to live the way that the rest of us live. You stay in the same hotel rooms, you eat with the rest of us, and you travel with the rest of us. You can't be followed around by those three sycophantic morons either. Choose one if you need a manager. The rest go.

"And you have to play the scenes the way that they are written. You can't change the scenes and then rely on Daddy to make it all right. You have to respect the director, the writers, and the other actors. You battle me on the set, scene for scene, and I will call you my rival. Agreed?"

Erika was in full fighting form, "I agree. I'll fight you at your own game; and I'll destroy you."

Shinai's assistant leaned over and spoke softly to him, "Is this really ok?"

The director gave the man a conspiratorial smile, "Do you see their eyes? Those two young ladies are on fire. They'll give the best performance of their young lives. This project just keeps getting better and better. I'll want all of the writers in the conference room at 2 pm. We have some revisions to make."

* * *

Ano, I _did_ just mention that the two ladies were extra-beautiful when they were angry? Well, the male population in the dining room definitely noticed. As the two young ladies separated, the men moved in. The cast members of _Runaway Royalty_ were not the only people in the room. Two other movies and four dramas were also in-progress; and quite a few male actors suddenly came out of the woodwork.

Hiou, of course, was already deeply and firmly convinced of Kanae's beauty. He loved to see the raven-haired older girl in all her moods. What he didn't like to see was all of the men flocking around her. He didn't care about the ones who were introducing themselves to Erika; she could take them all, for all he cared. But he felt a burning jealousy at seeing all of the handsome men talking to his woman.

Neil Grant was the straw that broke the camel's back. Neil Grant, with his rugged features and wild blond hair, stepped into the throng surrounding Kanae. He stood taller than any of the others, and a full head taller than most. When he reached Kanae he laid a possessive arm on her shoulder and began telling the other gentlemen, politely but firmly, that Kanae was unavailable. Had he looked at Kanae's face clouding over, he might have run away in fear. But good looks do not necessarily correlate with intelligence.

Just as Kanae started to move, Grant suddenly gasped in pain. The hand that had been draped over Kanae was suddenly bending at an unnatural angle toward his wrist. The big man, helpless in the devil's grip, went down on his knees, trying desperately to lessen the pain. His bewildered eyes met Hiou's look of rage. All of the other men watched in amazement (and amusement) as the Asian teen controlled the bigger man effortlessly with just one hand.

Hiou leaned forward and spoke venomously, "Don't you _ever_ touch my girl again."

Just as suddenly as he had taken the big man down, he released him. Hiou had no choice; he was being dragged away by one ear by a _very_ angry raven-haired girl as the occupants in dining room erupted in laughter.

* * *

"Mo! Your girl?" Kanae demanded of the very contrite looking teen boy as he stood rubbing his ear.

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't watch that… that…," His rage was returning to his face.

His protectiveness touched a hidden chord in Kanae's heart. She had intended to rip him to shreds for embarrassing her like that. But she knew that the events on the airplane flight, the confrontation with Erika, and the sudden unwanted attention from a dozen or more males had something to do with her current feelings.

"Thank you for trying to protect me, Hiou-san. But I am more than capable of dealing with an oily character like Neil Grant."

Hiou's face took on a look of relief, but he had relaxed too early. Kanae leaned in towards the younger teen and held his eyes, "But if you _ever_ say something like _that_ again, you had better have your will written out. If I ever choose a _man_, I will choose. Nobody claims me. Is that understood?"

Hiou gulped, "Hai, Kotonami-san. Hontoni Gomen Nasai."

"Um, excuse me for intruding…." They looked over to see Andy, standing by the door, looking sheepish.

"Don't worry, Andy. I won't kill him," She looked sternly at Hiou, "yet."

"Well… it's not that. You see, I didn't know that there was bad blood between you and my cousin. When my cousin, Erika, called she never said a word about it. I'm truly sorry." Andy looked like he was expecting the same treatment Kanae had just promised Hiou.

"Don't worry, Andy, I don't blame you. If Erika-san is your cousin, you've probably already endured enough. But tell me, how does a nice guy like you come up with a cousin like her?"

The two of them continued to talk pleasantly as the trio walked to the studio where _Runaway Royalty_ was filming. For once Hiou was happy that Kanae seemed to have forgotten about him.

* * *

They shot a few scenes that afternoon. The following weeks were a whirlwind of travel and filming as they went from location to location, even flying across the continent to film on the opposite coast. Three things became abundantly clear: 1) The two young ladies were taking their rivalry very seriously. 2) The two young ladies were both very good actresses. 3) Everyone else on the set, perhaps inspired by the two young ladies, were also giving their absolute best in every scene. Director Shinai was a _very_ happy man.

* * *

"Welcome back, Sergio. How was your vacation?"

"I'm exhausted. I needed to come back to work just to get a rest."

"I'm afraid that there's no rest for the wicked," Renate DeGarmo extended a thing folder to him. "Take a look at this."

In the folder was a series of printed emails. Sergio's eyebrows contracted and his face darkened as he read the sender name, "Cameo? Well, I suppose it was only a matter of time."

He read through each sheet:

_"She's blond. She's beautiful. And she's mine."_

_"Tell Serge congratulations on finding the Sheila. And I didn't think he could find his &*$# with both hands."_

_"Aren't mixed races beautiful?"_

_"I really need to stock up on my hair care products."_

Renate waited until he had finished reading the last one, "As the dates show, he's sent us one of these every three days for the last twelve days. If he follows his same pattern, we only have eight days left before he makes the grab."

"So he's playing with us again," Sergio growled. He remembered desperately searching for Amber Stokely, watching the minutes pass by. Cameo had provided just enough information to get him to the general area; he had to rely on instinct for the rest. He remembered holding the shallowly-breathing girl for a long time before he finally felt safe enough to lay her down and call for a pickup.

He shook himself and tried to focus, "Amber Stokely was British, so his 'Sheilah' reference suggests that his next target either lives in Australia or _is_ an Australian."

"Not just Australian; she's mixed race… and blond.

"Unfortunately, that only narrows it down to around tens of thousands of possible girls. If you focus on the ones with parents wealthy enough to pay his normal ransom price, we're still stuck with about six-hundred names."

"What about his reference to hair-care products?"

"We've tried to match our list with the owners of hair-care companies and salon owners. We didn't find any conclusive matches."

"I'll get on it, boss. I want that scumbag safely behind bars before he really hurts one of his victims."

Sergio was a father himself. He remembered Amber's pale, terrified face again. What he really wanted was to see Cameo's severed head on a stake.

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** Kanae first issued this challenge after the Curara auditions. Now we'll see how it all turns out.

Its time to focus on the movie for a while.

Please let me know what you think.


	10. Hiroji's Arrival

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter Ten – Hiroji's Arrival**

If you will pardon the short history lesson:

In 1878 Melbourne was on its way to becoming the second largest city in the world. The gold rush that began in the 1850's had ushered in a flood of growth that the region was totally unprepared to support. As a result, while some referred to Melbourne as "magnificent Melbourne," it was actually disaster waiting to happen. There was rampant over-speculation and graft. There were not enough jobs; the gold was not flowing as it had been; and everyone demanded reform while nobody really wanted to pay the taxes required to facilitate it.

Because of this, the fastest growing city in the world was really a motley collection of different people from different places who didn't get along and who didn't agree on anything. There was one thing, unfortunately, that they did agree on in 1878, that was the "Chinese Question." Essentially, the white races objected strenuously, and sometimes violently, to the hiring of Chinese people to fill any type of labor job. As happens often in times of unemployment and unrest, the people were looking for someone to blame. Blaming people who were obviously from another race was the easiest solution.

This is the atmosphere that our young prince and later Hishida Euiko stepped into.

[_Scene shows Hiroji watching the approaching city as sailors scramble around him taking in sail. His face is a mixture of excitement and trepidation. He is dressed in his royal finery and is wearing his sword._]

[_Hiroji pays the remaining gold, bows to the captain, and walks jauntily down the ramp. The stevedores on the long dock eye him suspiciously as he passes through them._]

[_Hiroji looks bewildered as he walks down the main street of this surprisingly large and bustling city. He tries to ask for directions, but everybody either ignores him or scowls at him. He sees a saloon where many people are going in and out. With a look or determination he turns towards it._]

[_Simon Stewart_ _stands in the bed of the wagon muscling barrels, boxes, and other goods into place while his father John, and a shopkeeper haul the goods out of the store. Simon looks up to see an oriental teen walking toward the saloon across the street. He sees the long sword hanging from the boy's hip and whistles in wonder._]

[_The saloon has a long porch with wooden chairs where men are sitting in various states of drunkenness. One looks up to see the prince pass by. His eyes grow wide and he wipes a dirty hand vigorously over his face. As Hiroji steps into the swinging wooden doors he surveys a smoke-filled room until he see's the server behind the bar. He starts to walk past the people at the tables to the bar. An out-of-tune piano that was playing in the background stops as the room grows slowly silent._

The bartender looked up at the approaching teen and spoke gruffly in a strong Irish brogue, "We don't serve Chiniemen in this bar, boyo"

Hiroji puzzled through the strange dialect and then responded, "I am no Chinese. I am prince of Ryukyu."

"Well now, I don't much care if your the prince of what'er you called et, or the Kang o' bloody Angland. Yuv got no business bein' in my saloon. Now go'an wid ya."

The people watching laughed. Hiroji looked surprised and embarrassed by this treatment.

"Let me deal vis zis von, Patrick," a big, powerfully built said in a German accent. He reached out to latch onto Hiroji, but his hand was slapped away. He stumbled forward as Hiroji sidestepped into a guard stance. The crowd laughed again.

"Oh ho ho. Ze kleine boy vants he should play vis me?" The big man was angry now, but he was also grinning with anticipation. He bent into a boxing stance and started bouncing on his toes.

"Excuse me. I not want to fight. I want ask where buy horse," Hiroji said, staying in his guard stance and studying the other man's movements cautiously.

"Ha! Chinaman riding ze horse?!" The German spat, "Zere is no vay ve sell you a horse. You vill probably eat ze poor sing." He bounced forward, made a feint with his right and swung powerfully with his left.

This time Hiroji stepped inside the man's swing, catching his arm and continuing the motion while planting his left foot and swinging his right back. In a seemingly effortless movement the big German was propelled through the air, flipping and landing on his back.

"Get the bastard!" The Irishman yelled. In a moment men were surging from their chairs and Hiroji knew he was in real danger. He grabbed two loose chairs and threw them at the feet of the oncoming group, knocking over several. Then his sword sang as he pulled it smoothly out of its scabbard. The attackers halted on all sides, staying just out of his reach. The bartender pulled out a pistol, aimed and shot, passing over Hiroji and the assailants behind him. They jumped back, giving Hiroji an opening to the door. He ran through before they could react.]

[_Simon Stewart leans against a barrel in the wagon as he waits for his father to complete his transaction with the storekeeper. He sees the oriental teen run out in the middle of the street and dart in the other direction just as a crowd of angry men erupt from the saloon._

_He sees the teen jump up, grabbing the edge of a porch roof and swinging himself up to climb on top of it. The men are shouting at each other in frustration until one of them sees him running along the narrow porch roofs. When they start running towards him, he jumps into a window. A woman screams. The men run into the building._

_Simon sees the teen climb out of another window and leap the ally-way onto the next line of porch roofs. Several men look out of the windows of the first building and see him. Two climb onto the first roof in hot pursuit. When they get to the ally-way, both men jump. One makes it, but the other lands short. As he is hanging there he grabs the other man's boot and both are dragged cursing off of the roof._

_Simon is sitting back on the barrel, laughing at the spectacle. Hiroji climbs into another window. A moment later he drops out of a window opening up to the ally-way where nobody but Simon is looking. The men rush into the street, trying to locate Hiroji. _

Simon pointed down the road, "He's clear down to the next building, mates. Better hurry!"

Hiroji, still in the ally, looked up and met Simon's eyes. Simon lifted a subtle hand to tell Hiroji to wait while he watched the running men. Once all of the men had run into the next building, he reached down and lifted the flap of the tarp that is covering the goods in the wagon. "Come on, mate," he said quietly, carefully waving Hiroji on. Hiroji ran forward and jumped under the lifted tarp. Just then several of the men ran back out, looked around, and started cursing and stomping their boots in frustration.

Thunder boomed and rain started pouring heavily down on everyone. The men made their way back to the saloon. Simon pulled his broad-brimmed cowboy hat down lower. Just for a moment, Hiroji lifted the flap of the tarp just enough to see out with one eye.]

[_While the rain continues to pour down, the Stewart ride their wagon past the saloon. The big German sits angrily in one of the chairs, scowling at the world as the wagon disappears down the road._]

"Cut! Take thirty while we review tape. Good job everyone!"

Matsuda-san, Hiou's manager for the first ten years of Hiou's career, handed him a towel as he and Andy walked of the set.

"Andy-san," Hiou said, "meet Matsuda-san. She's been my manager for a long time. She quit to get married, but my mother persuaded her to come to Australia to support me for a little while longer."

Andy politely returned the Matsuda's greeting. Then Matsuda extended Hiou's cell phone to him. He was surprised when it buzzed in his hand. Looking down, he saw that he had a text message.

_How goes the battle for Moko-san's heart, Hiou-kun? –Demon Girl._

Hiou grimaced. Kanae was filming a different scene at the studio right now. He was still aching from the embarrassment of what he had done, so he hadn't talked with her much since yesterday. He texted back: _Don't tease me about it, Demon Girl_.

_Not teasing. Serious. Can I help?_

_How can you help?_

_Try me._

* * *

Kanae was just finishing up a horse-riding scene when she received the first message from Hiou. As she read it her eyebrows rose and her cheeks tinged slightly. _That's not bad. How did he know that I liked Haikus?_

The message read:

Raven hair flows  
dancing freely around you  
tangling my heart

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** I hope you're able to visualize the chase scene. Imagine western style facades on the building fronts with wooden porches and porch roofs. Yeah, I went slightly Jackie Chan here, but it was fun!

Please don't be too harsh about my haikus. I know that these are traditionally vague, but I wanted Hiou's to be direct. They will not all be 4-7-4 either.

Write to me? (They never write, they never call)


	11. Guilty pleasures

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Skip Beat

**Chapter 11 – Guilty pleasures**

The scenes below follow those from the previous chapter.

**[**Father and son rode in the wagon along the muddy trail. In the background behind the wagon the tall buildings of Melbourne could still be seen. "Simon, are you going to introduce me to your friend?"

The boy gave a startled look to his father, "You knew?"

"Yep." He pulled back on the reins to stop the horses, "Whoah boys. Simon, you do the honors."

Simon reached behind him and pulled the tarp back, "Well mate, guess dad saw ya. Come on out and introduce yourself."

Hiroji, blinking his eyes after spending the last hour in the dark, bowed regally, "Pleased you to meet. I am Prince Motubu Hiroji. I am from Ryukyu Kingdom. Thank you for to help."

Both of their eyes grew wide in wonder, "Prince?" John Stewart asked. He looked the young man over, "Well, you're certainly dressed for the part. What in the world is a prince of… what did you call it?"

"Ryukyu Kingdom. We are an ancient island kingdom located between China and Japan."

"Ryu-two. Anyway, mate, what brings you here to Victoria? Didn't they tell you that the gold's been played out years ago?"

Hiroji placed his hands on his hips and stuck out his chest, "I am here for adventure. I want to see everything and become a cowboy."

Simon snickered, but he stopped when his father scowled at him. "Well, I can't promise you adventure, but if you need a place to stay for a mite, I've got room. You can bed down with Chuckles here." He indicated his son.

"Chuckles?"

"My name is Simon. Put her there, mate." He stuck out his hand. Hiroji looked at the other boys hand, then met his eyes in confusion. Simon rolled his eyes, "take my hand, prince. That's how we greet each other in these parts."

Hiroji reached out his hand and the two boys shook. John sat back in his seat, "Take a seat boys. We'll be riding all night before we hit home."**]**

**[**The sun was just breaking on the horizon when a lone rider on a tall brown horse was seen galloping down the road toward them. Simon had the reigns while his father slept in the back. He nudged the drowsing boy next to him. "Heads up, mate. Here comes trouble. If she attacks us, just lop her head off with that kitchen-knife of yours."

Hiroji watched intently as the rider drew closer. It was a beautiful blond teen, her hair streaming behind her as she rode beautifully along the rough road. Hiroji looked over at Simon, "My sister. Like I said, trouble. Shouldn't you be pulling out that pig-sticker?"

The girl brought the horse to a sudden stop. It reared up in the air and pranced backwards. "And who's this?" The beautiful girl asked archly.

"Angela, dear sister, meet Prince Motubu Hiro…Hiro…"

"Pleased to meet you. I am Prince Motubu Hiroji, of Ryukyu Kingdom."

Angela looked back and forth between the two boys. "Yeah, right. Breakfast is on the table. So get your lazy carcass moving, Simon. You can share your portion with 'Prince' here."]

[_On the following morning, an overdressed middle-aged lady walks along a short line of poorly dressed young ladies on the Melbourne docks. She is followed by a big, mean-looking balding man. She stops in front of one young woman who is in her twenties._

"You trying to foist off a fryer among the chickadees, George?"

The man blustered, "She's fresh! Why she tain't no more'an seventeen, Maude."

Maude laughed an ugly laugh, "You're needing new spectacles, old man. Where have you worked, girl?"

The woman lifted her chin haughtily, "I'm a London girl. I only worked the best places."

"Sounds like Whitechapel to me. Well if you work for me, you work where I send you, girlie." She turned back to look up at the big man. "I'll take them all. This place just keeps growing and there's fifteen men for every woman. Oh, ho, what's this?"

George followed her gaze to the ship's boat being rowed to the dock. Sitting in the prow was a beautiful, stately oriental girl with long, braided raven hair. "That boat's from _Pelican_, she's a clipper, triangle-trader out of Boston."

"Not the boat, you idiot! Who's the Sheilah? Now that little piece of jade would bring in a pretty penny. You get me her, George, and I'll pay you half-again what you've earned today."]

**[**Hishida Euiko bowed slightly to the men in the boat before debarking. She carried her long bag in one hand, with her sword hanging over her shoulder. The eyes of every sailor followed her progress down the dock. One of the sailors noticed another rubbing his bruised jaw. "I told you not to touch her, Mike. You should have learned after you saw what she did to the second mate."

"Just shet up, Patrick. Just shet yer gob afore I shet it fer ya!"

The rest of the sailors laughed.**]**

**[**As Euiko stepped off of the wooden pathway onto the main street she found herself confronted with a half-circle of rough looking men.

"Hallo, missy. Welcome to Melbourne. Ders a fine lady over there who wants a word with you," George said in a menacing voice.

"I'm sorry, but I have no business with you or with your 'lady.' I am here to speak with the authorities. Please step out of the way. (Euiko's English was much more clear and sophisticated than Hirogi's)"

"Now, that tain't polite, missy. The lady wants to meet'cha, and the lady gets what the lady wants."He took a step forward and made a grab for Euiko's arm. His hand was caught and suddenly he was spinning around. He roared as his arm was wrenched behind his back. Euiko stepped into the back of his leg joint and he dropped down onto his knees. As the others rushed forward Euiko's sword was suddenly in her hand, as if by magic.

The men hesitated until Maude yelled, "Git her, you lilly-livered gutter-scum!"

As the men rushed in she used the pommel of her sword on George. As he fell to the street she began striking left and right with both her sword and the empty scabbard. Like a scythe she cleared a circular path in front of her. While several of the men who were still standing hesitated she picked up her bundle and slung it over her shoulder. Two more men tried their luck, but both received blows to the side of their heads.

Eukio turned and bowed to the livid older woman. The girls behind the woman either watched in astonishment or snickered. Euiko continued down the main street for another few yards before she was confronted with two uniformed men on horses. The lead man had a rifle sitting across his legs. He touched his hat with two fingers as he spoke. "Ma'am, I'm Sergeant Adams. I'm afraid you're going to have to come with me. You're under arrest for the murder of…"

"Sergeant Adams, nobody has died today."

"But I just saw you use that pig-sticker…" he looked past her in amazement as, one by one, the men began to crawl to their knees and stand up. He whistled, "I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. I'd like to know… never mind. You still can't walk down the streets pulling swords on people."

"Sergeant, do you usually sanction eight men assaulting one defenseless woman?"

Adams guffawed, "I wouldn't rightly call you defenseless."

"It makes no difference. I need to meet with your authorities. I am on a commission from the King of Ryukyu on a matter of the utmost importance."

"Hain't heard of Ruku. Well, I guess the best thing would be for you to meet with Mr. Rutherford, the Police Commissioner. Can you ride a horse?"

"Of course, Sergeant."

"Roland, you stay here and have a talk with Maude. Give the lady your horse."

"You want me to let a Chi…" the man started to bluster, but he was cut short.

"Officer, get off that horse now!"

The police officer scowled, but he dismounted. He glared at Euiko as he handed her the reins. She bowed slightly to him, without any change of expression. Then she gracefully mounted the horse and looked at the sergeant with a raised eyebrow. He gave her a smile of admiration. "Just one moment, dear lady."

He turned and rode the few feet back to the scene of the fracas. "Maude, you know the rules. I won't stop you as long as you keep things above-board. Stick to your volunteers. If I see you trying to grab any more unwilling young ladies, I'll shut you down."

Maude spat on the ground and glared after him as he rode away with Euiko. George was just trying to get to his knees when she kicked him back over.]

"Cut! Nice work everyone. Take a twenty-minute break, but don't go far."

Kanae accepted the usual accolades gracefully and reached for her towel. She saw the message light was flashing on her phone and picked it up. For a moment she glanced around guiltily before sliding the phone open to read the message.

Her ivory skin  
surrounds a heart of pure gold  
and a soul of steel

As she read it a second time her expression showed irritation… and just the hint of a smile.

* * *

Grandfather Kotonami was the greatest man in the world all through Kanae's childhood. Even in his old age he was tall, handsome, and dignified. He was a gentleman and a scholar. His room was lined with shelves of books and scrolls. He practiced the ancient medicinal arts. He was a traditionalist who never made a young girl feel bad for being "modern."

As a child Kanae often wondered how such a perfect man could have such a useless son. Her father and mother were as flighty and unreliable as two parents could be. They were never mean… they were just seldom _there._ Her brothers and sisters followed in her parents footsteps. If they were left to their own resources the house would have collapsed under the weight of dirty dishes, laundry, and refuse. It fell on little Kanae, the only fastidious one, to purge their home and keep it clean.

She was so embarrassed by her family and their habits that she never invited a person to her home. She wouldn't let her older siblings drive her to school because the other students might see them. She never told her parents about school conferences for fear that one of them might actually come. Instead she made sure that her grades were always perfect so that no teacher had cause for complaint. It was actually quite easy for a girl with a photographic mind.

But her shame caused her to be a loner. The other children assumed that she was a snob and eventually stopped trying to befriend her. The lonely little girl told herself that she didn't _need_ a friend. Friends were just a burden and a nuisance. There was only one shining light in Kanae's life: Her grandfather. He was the person she loved the most. He was the one who never made her feel ashamed. He was the one who made her feel special.

As strong as he looked to her adoring heart, he was in fact very old and frail; which meant that he has to live in a respite home. Sadly, it was located far away from Tokyo, so she couldn't visit him often. Every time that she was able to visit him he would pull out his bamboo handled calligraphy brush, lay out a sheet of parchment, and write her a haiku.

Her favorites still hung in her Tokyo apartment. The one she loved the most was his very last:

Granddaughter floats in  
swirling like a cool spring breeze  
making me feel young

At his funeral she made the silent promise to her grandfather that she would not live her life as the housemaid for her family. She would become famous someday and restore honor to the name of Kotonami.

Therefore Hiou's haikus were touching a special place in her heart. Although neither of them said a word about it when they saw each other, she read each one. Soon the buzzing of her phone, indicating a text message, had become a guilty pleasure.

* * *

**Notes:** I hope this all made sense. I'm tired. I think I'll go to bed now.

Before anyone asks, a fryer chicken is an older chicken.


	12. A surprising response

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 12 – A surprising response**

"Nepal?" Kanae said into the cell-phone. She wasn't able to completely keep the excitement and envy out of her voice. She loved travel and wanted to see the whole world.

"Hai, Moko-san. Can you believe it? And I get to play Queen Koraju, the sovereign of the ice faeries. The movie's called 'Kingdom of Thorns'."

"Koraju?! Isn't that a little cheesy, Kyoko-chan?*"

"I know, I know. But the storyline is really interesting. Of course now I'm going to have to learn how to use a broadsword."

"Well don't start getting rusty with the katana. You and I have a question of skill to settle."

"Don't worry, Moko-san. I'll be ready for you. Shinai-san sent a clip of your dock fight-scene. You were wonderful!"

"Don't gush, it's unbecoming for an engaged woman. And what about that… How does Tsuruga-san feel about you disappearing into the icy northlands?"

Kyoko's voice sounded sad, "He'll be in Fiji around the same time. They're filming a vacation episode for one of his dramas." There was a pause, "So… you'll be my bridesmaid, won't you?"

"Of course, you idiot. Did you really think that I would say no?" Kanae used her irritation to hold back the myriad of other emotions that were just under the surface.

"Thank you, Moko-san. You should plan on bringing a date. I know that a certain young martial arts teacher would _love_ to accompany you."

"Mo! You just worry about your own relationships, Kyoko-chan. You be careful or I just won't come."

"Gomen, gomen," Kyoko said, not sounding contrite at all, "Well, we both have movies to make. Ja mata, Moko-san."

Erika was standing with the rest of the cast and crew, waiting to watch out-takes of the filming thus far. In reality she was watching Kanae talk with her friend in Japan. She couldn't have even explained to herself why she felt so irritated by the scene.

* * *

Senior Detective Renate DeGarmo sat beside the Director of the Command and Co-ordination Centre of Interpol and watched the film clip that Sergio showed. It was an Australian commercial for the newest brand of shampoo. The girl was beautiful, with blond hair that flowed like spun silk whenever she ran her hands through it.

"Her name is Erika Kouenji. Her father is the current patriarch and CEO of the Kouenji Group. Her mother has passed away, but she was once Miss Australia. Erika attended public school in Japan, for some unknown reason. She is an accomplished dancer, equestrian, and actress. Actually, she hasn't done much acting; mostly commercials. But now she has a strong supporting role on a cooperative effort between several Japanese and Australian studios. They are filming in Australia now."

The very dapper man with the sculpted and waxed mustache leaned back and looked at the file in his hand. "Are you absolutely sure? That's narrowing it down quite a bit. What if this 'Cameo' character is deliberately leading us down a rabbit hole?"

Renate answered for him, "I don't think so. Cameo likes to see how close we can get before he wins. He _wants_ us to figure out who his victim is. He's very much in love with his own cleverness."

The director sat the folder on the table and heaved himself up, "Ok then. Give the Aussies everything that you've got and let's tackle the next case."

"I want to go in on this." Renate said firmly.

The director looked down at the still-beautiful middle-aged woman, "That's not our job, Renate. We're a glorified information storehouse, not operatives."

"But _I _am a trained undercover operative. Sergio and I have been involved in that bastard's case since his second kidnapping. He's seen Sergio, but he doesn't know me."

She held the Director's eyes for a long time. Finally he sighed, "Ok, Detective. If you can persuade the Aussies, you're in. You just make sure you don't go cowboy out there and start a shoot-out. I don't know which of you is worse; you, or your American boyfriend."

Renate nodded as he walked away. The director might have changed his mind had he seen the glint in her eyes.

* * *

"You were sloppy with that take-down move," Hiou said matter-of-factly. They were watching the part where Euiko wrestled George to the ground. "It was only his skill as a stunt-man that pulled that off. We'll have to work harder on your technique."

"Hai sensei," Kanae said humbly.

The rest of the cast and crew were tempted to interject in support of Kanae, but they knew she would only wave them off. For a beginner, they thought she was making amazing progress. But she was constantly working to improve. The relationship between the two teens was also fascinating to them. They knew that young Hiou was infatuated with his older co-star; and that she only seemed to tolerate him. But when they spoke of martial arts _he _was the one in charge, and she submitted willingly to his guidance. That is not to say that she didn't get irritated; but she squashed her irritation and applied his advice.

Of course, the others who were being trained by him understood very well. Hiou was unquestionably qualified as an instructor. He was also very good at it. He could be harsh and strict, but he knew his students. He seemed to be able to see right through the struggles of each student to find the root of the problem. Once he found the problem the student made sudden leaps in his or her growth.

There was _almost _one exception. Erika, along with Andy, would be shooting scenes where they would be learning from Prince Hiroji. She was therefore instructed to devote two hours of each day to training with the others. It didn't always go well.

The problem was not athleticism or ability. Nobody becomes a ballerina of her caliber without both of those qualities. The problem was that Erika liked to do things Erika's way. She didn't want to focus on basics while her enemy was over in the corner flying through a complicated sword kata. But she was absolutely determined to defeat Kanae, so she gritted her teeth and listened to "that vile little punk."

They were watching the scene of her riding now. There were several gasps at her speed and the way she and the horse stopped just in time. Several of the men admired her beauty in the scene much more than her skill as an equestrian. She smirked and turned triumphantly to face Kanae. To her surprise, the raven-haired girl didn't look crestfallen at all. In fact, she seemed just as interested in the scene as the others when it was re-wound.

Erika was struck dumb when Kanae turned her face, met her eyes, and nodded respectfully.

* * *

Later that evening, after a day of shooting scenes and a late afternoon of training, Hiou was back into insecure young teen mode. He was standing by Kanae as she wiped sweat from her forehead with a towel. Sometimes, as at that moment, he was so captivated by her that he felt like his chest was being crushed. He had been particularly harsh with her during practice because time was running short for her next sword-scene. Sometimes he was afraid that she would start hating him for this, but she seemed to take it all in stride.

"Um, Kanae-san?"

Kanae had known that Hiou was waiting to talk to her. She was honestly feeling a little irritated after the training, so she let him stew for a bit. "Yes?"

"About the phone messages…"

"They're not exactly traditional, but their not bad either."

"So-o-o… you're not mad at me for sending them?"

"No," Kanae was actually trying hard to hold back the warmth that she felt in her cheeks, "They're interesting to read."

"Should I stop?"

"No… you can keep sending them if you want. But that doesn't mean anything, Hiou-chan. Are we clear on that?"

Hiou's grin of pleasure totally belied his reply, "Of course, Kanae-chan. I understand." He bowed and quickly fled her presence.

"You're going to ruin your reputation if you keep encouraging that little punk," Erika said snidely as she walked up to Kanae.

"He's hardly a 'little punk' anymore. He's taller than me now. He's also matured a lot in the last year. And I'm not encouraging anyone. He's just a nice kid." Wanting to change the subject, Kanae met Erika's eyes, "I've never seen you ride before. You ride wonderfully."

Erika was taken aback by the compliment. When she found her voice, she spoke arrogantly, "better than you, of course."

"Of course," Kanae replied, unaffected, "I've only had two years of training on the side. It would take me years to ever get up to your level. Good job."

Erika, flanked by her one servant, watched in bewilderment as the raven-haired girl walked out of the studio dojo.

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** Before you write to me and say it would be OOC for Kanae to compliment Erika, please be patient. The explanation(s) will be forthcoming.

* "Koraju" is a derivative of two words: "Kori," meaning ice, and "judai" meaning great. _Yeah, it's corny, but it gets hard coming up with all these names._


	13. Burning coals

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 13 – Burning coals **

When you have very few people who you can turn to for wise counsel, you learn to cherish the ones that you find. It should come as no surprise then that Kanae had spoken with Julie Hizuri concerning her Erika problem. Kyoko wasn't the only one who felt a special connection to this larger-than-life character. Since her grandfather's passing Kanae had known nobody who she could look up to as a parent figure. Truthfully, all four girls, and Maria to a lesser extent, had adopted Julie in their hearts.

It was Julie who had carefully and gently guided Kyoko until the broken girl had finally learned to forgive past wrongs and move on with her life. Her advice to Kanae was just as beneficial.

"Have you ever read the Bible, Kanae-chan?"

"No… its not exactly standard reading in a Japanese public school."

"I ask because there's one verse that I think will apply nicely to your situation. May I tell it to you?"

"Of course, Julie-san."

Julie sighed, "Will I never get you to call me Okaa-san? Anyway, it's in Proverbs. Here it is:

If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat;  
and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:  
for thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head,  
and the Lord shall reward thee.

"What that means, Kanae-chan, is that you should repay her animosity with kindness; not fake kindness, but genuine. If you do that, she may begin to see her own inner-ugliness and even try to change. If she doesn't change, at least you won't be eaten up by her brand of bitterness."

"You are always very wise," Kanae said, "I will try it."

"Let me know how everything goes. And be kind to that boy. We know his family well; they're wonderful people. Their son will probably grow up to be something special too; even if he was a little brat when he was younger."

"I'll be kind," Kanae said softly, "and thank you again, Okaa-san."

"Better. Ja ne."

* * *

_Author's note: I am changing the name of the police commissioner to a fictional name. My brief research has led me to form certain conclusions about the real man which may, or may not, be accurate. In the interest of fairness, and acknowledging my own vast ignorance, I have chosen to fictionalize my character._

**[**Police Commissioner Rutherford, a rotund, careworn man, looked at the fancy parchment scroll in his hand and back up to the beautiful oriental lady. "It seems rather unusual for a King to send a lone woman on such an important mission, Miss Hishida; even one as capable as you, if what the sergeant tells me is true."

"Nevertheless, Commissioner, I am here and you have the commission in your hand. Time is of the essence. Your city is vast, as is this country. The longer I delay, the more impossible my task becomes. That is why I have need of your assistance."

Rutherford leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples. "Right now I have most of my men out trying to catch the scent of a bushranger by the name of Ned Kelly; dangerous man; dangerous family. I do have one officer who just came off of an injury, Augustus Bryant. Good man; knows the city well and the bush even better. From what you tell me about his interest in 'adventure,' I think your 'prince' would have headed out of town."

He paused, pondered, finally spoke, "Miss Hishida, I'm afraid that you're not safe moving around the streets of Melbourne by yourself. You see, there's a lot of bad feeling toward the Asian people here. They're mostly good people, and the hardest workers I ever saw. But the townspeople don't appreciate them taking the available jobs. Things get violent at times. I'm not proud of it, but that is the reality."

"I understand, Commissioner. It is not always safe for a white man to walk alone in my country. This thinking towards other races is an unfortunate fact in our world. I will be careful not to be alone."

The commissioner looked at her speculatively, "You know, I really do believe that you are a princess. I wish that your mission was not so urgent. I would love to introduce you to my wife and daughters."

Hishida Euiko bowed, "I would be honored, dear sir. If time and circumstance permits."**]**

**[**Augustus "Gus" Bryant tilted his hat back and whistled as he saw Euiko walking towards the stable yards. Sergeant Adams shook his head, "Watch it, Gus, that princess has some serious teeth."

"The rest of her ain't too bad either." Gus said appreciatively.

"Rutherford was pretty clear. If you offend her, he'll roast whatever she hasn't already sliced off of you."

Both men politely removed their hats as Euiko reached them. "Sergeant Adams, I am once again grateful for your assistance today. You are worthy of your rank and position." She bowed at the beaming man.

"My lady, allow me to introduce Police Officer Augustus Bryant. He will help you to find your man, if anyone can." Gus, a tall, handsome blond man, gave Euiko a polite bow while keeping his appraising eyes on her.

"I am honored to make your acquaintance, Mr. Bryant."

"Please ma'am, call me Gus."

"That would not be proper," Euiko said. She turned her gaze back to the sergeant. "Please extend my thanks to your other officer for the use of his horse. I think that now it would be appropriate for me to purchase my own for the remainder of my stay in your country."

"Ride Roland's mount for the now, Princess. Gus will take you to the man who we buy our horses from. Leave Roland's horse there and he can retrieve it later."

"You are most gracious. Again, I thank you."

Both men watched her walk into the stable. "Remember, Gus. She's off limits."**]**

**[**The Stewarts watched as Motubu Hiroji stepped out of the sleeping rooms. He was dressed in Andy's spare clothing, with the standard canvas working pants and woolen shirt. He looked ridiculously proud of the clothing. When he turned, the three Stewarts laughed.

"Prince, I don't think that the sword really goes with your outfit. You won't have much call for it anyway." John Stewart said.

Hiroji looked sheepish, "As you say. I will leave it here."

"It is a beautiful sword, though," Angela said.

Hiroji was in the process of removing the sword and scabbard when she spoke. He looked at her and seemed to make a decision, "It is the weapon of a great warrior. My grandfather of many, many generations past led the armies of his king and helped to unite three small kingdoms into the Ryukyu Kingdom. This sword has been worn by the eldest son since that time."

He reverently held it out in two hands, extending it for the three Stewarts to examine.

"May I?" Angela asked, earning her a scowl from Simon who clearly wanted to ask the same question.

"Yes, but please careful be. It slices through flesh easy as through cream."

Angela pulled it partway out of the scabbard, looked at it with fascination, and then pushed it back together. Then she allowed Simon to take it from her, "Don't push. Just take it carefully."

She turned appreciative eyes on the handsome oriental teen, "You _really are_ a prince, aren't you."

"I am. But it is of no consequence now that my uncle has had a son."

John Stewart sat in his chair and watched the boy speculatively.**]**

**[**As brother and sister argued over dishes in the kitchen, John Steward stuffed a pipe. "Come outside with me for a spell, prince."

The sun was bright in the morning sky as they stepped out onto the long wooden porch. "Grab a chair."

"I'll ask the next neighbor who's going into Melbourne if he can collect your baggage. It may be a while."

"I am grateful."

Hiroji sat while John leaned against a porch post. "You seem a mite young to be off on an adventure like this alone. Tell me, young man, did your family approve of this trip?"

"Father and mother are no more. My uncle is king. He was sending me away to Japan. His… not wife… consort not like me there."

"Is she the one that had the son?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, mother's can sometimes be that way. I'll tell you what: for now why don't you try working for me. It's not exactly adventure, but it will give you a chance to get your feet on the ground and get the lay of the land."

"I not understand all you say, but I would like to work here. You have nice family."

"Well, then, let's get everyone working this morning."**]**

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** A short chapter after two long ones. I think that they have the server problem fixed now.

Please review. I always appreciate it.


	14. Two gifts (K -5)

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 14 – Two gifts (K -5)**

**_Author's Note:_**_ In an effort to keep the Kanae/Hiou story and the movie plot coherent, I have probably confused you as much as I have confused myself. The movie is not being filmed in anything resembling the order that it is being presented to you, for the obvious reason that the filming takes place in three different areas in Australia. This wouldn't matter, except that there is a definite time-stamp to Cameo's activities. So, from this chapter forward, I will include a K- minus notation in the title (K -5 means that there are five days left before Cameo strikes). Sorry for the confusion; it comes from typing at 1am in the morning._

You're a breeze blowing  
the dull colors from my soul  
I feel bright again

Today was a red-letter day in many different ways. Today Kanae's group was finished with the separate filming. She had returned to film the remainder of the movie with him. Today was also the day that Hiou turned fourteen. This had special significance to him because it meant that for two marvelous weeks (until her birthday) he would close the age gap with Kanae to four years instead of five.

Hiou's parents and grandfather would be arriving to celebrate with him. This was the longest that he had ever been away from home, and he could hardly wait to see them.

There was only one dark cloud looming on his horizon. It was really just a minor script change, a little, insignificant thing; but it bothered him tremendously. Tomorrow Hiou would film a kiss scene with Erika. It was only a quick, glancing kiss… that was all… it held no significance… but it did to Hiou. Now, Hiou had been in show business since he was three. He knew that kissing scenes were just a part of acting. He had known that someday he would have to do such a scene himself. That wasn't the problem.

The problem was that since Kanae had stolen his eleven-year-old heart, he had never imagined sharing his first-kiss with anyone but her. Ok, ok… many of the readers may feel that the importance placed on a "first kiss" is ridiculous in the first place, and even more ridiculous coming from a teenaged boy. But his two-plus years of absolute and total devotion to one girl should be taken into account. He had imagined a hundred schemes to steal a kiss from her; it had never occurred to him that his first kiss would come from anyone else.

* * *

What do you buy for a fourteen year old boy? That was the question foremost on Kanae's mind as she walked the shopping district of Melbourne with her new manager. It had been a surprise to her when Matsushima-san had called her to inform her that her new manager was on the way. At first she had protested, but he had begged her to allow a one-month trial period. He had also seemed supremely confident that Kanae would be pleased with Sophia Anderson. Kanae was surprised that LME would hire an American as her manager, but she had agreed to the trial period.

Of course, Matsushima-san had also given her another important piece of news that made having a manager an absolute necessity (at this point in typing the author is heard to give an evil laugh, knowing that he is about to leave the reader hanging until the next chapter).

After only one day, Kanae was convinced that Sophia was the perfect manager. Not only was the black-haired lady beautiful, but she was also cultured and highly intelligent. She claimed to be in her late thirties, but she could have easily passed for twenty-five. She carried herself with the dignity of an aristocrat, without any of the posturing or arrogance. She spoke at least five languages fluently and she seemed to understand the nuances of each language as well. And most of all she reminded Kanae of Julie; that was the highest possible recommendation.

If Kanae was required to find fault with anything about her new manager, it would be her almost obsessive desire for information about everything and everybody. It wasn't that she was a gossip; Kanae hated gossips and would have sent the older woman packing right away. It was that she seemed to ask for the oddest details about everyone associated with the movie, especially the men.

Had she been almost any other woman, Kanae might have thought that Sophia was angling for one of the male actors. But Sophia had already been approached and had politely turned away several of the best looking men on the set. To be fair, she had shown just as much interest in learning everything that she could about Erika. Kanae decided that her new manager was simply trying to gather information so that she could do the best possible job as a manager.

One thing was sure, Sophia was a fun to shop with. Like Julie, she had a talent for making a person relax and laugh. Her comical suggestions for presents almost had Kanae in tears on several occasions. She seemed to understand Hiou very well after such a short time.

At the beginning of the day Sophia had pointed out an issue that Kanae had overlooked. Sophia had displayed her amazing ability to see around the curtain by picking up on an important issue in the rivalry between her and Erika, as well as the issue of Hiou's infatuation.

"Did you read the new script for tomorrow's farm scenes?"

"Yes, but only those parts which concern me."

"It might behoove you to read the whole thing. I think it will help you to understand why Hiou seems so agitated and Erika seems so smug."

When Kanae read the script she immediately picked up on the problem. But she couldn't decide what to do about it. Instead she pushed it to the back of her mind and tried to concentrate on picking the perfect gift.

* * *

It was early evening when Kanae and Sophia walked into the Smokehouse Restaurant to join the gathering cast and crew. The Uesugi family had reserved an entire section of the restaurant for the evening and had invited everyone to celebrate Hiou's birthday. It is evidence of how much Hiou had matured that everyone came, not just for the tremendous food, but also to honor him. As a child he had been very spoiled and difficult, earning himself a poor reputation on the set of his shows. But his encounter with Kyoko and Kanae had allowed him to see himself for what he really was; and he had worked hard to change.

Tonight everyone came with congratulations and gifts. But Hiou could not help watching the door until Kanae walked in. She was dressed appropriately for this fancy setting, in a black evening dress; she took his breath away. He was blushing as she passed all of the admiring men and walked up to him, "Happy birthday, Hiou-chan. I hope that you have a wonderful evening." Hiou was still young enough that he could only stammer a brief reply.

He was grateful to his mother when he saw that Kanae had been placed across from him at the main table. His entire family treated her as one of their own. Neither father nor grandfather teased him anymore about his crush. They had met Kanae, and they understood.

* * *

The evening was getting late, and the guests were beginning to excuse themselves when Kanae approached Hiou and asked him to step out onto the deserted patio dining area with her. He followed her in a daze, trying not to pay too much attention to the way that she moved in her evening dress. Once they were outside they both leaned on the rails and listened to the ocean surf as it rumbled pleasantly in the dark.

Kanae had been holding a foot-long, thin package in her hand as she led him out. Now she extended it to him. "This is your first gift."

Hiou took it eagerly and reverently began to unwrap it. Inside was a knife resembling a bowie knife from old western movies. "I had a hard time finding the perfect gift. I know how much you like old weapons, so I thought…"

"It's perfect!" Hiou said, proudly holding the knife out to feel its weight. "Thank you, Kanae-chan."

Kanae seemed to be flustered and confused as she struggled to continue speaking. "Look, I know about the script and… this really doesn't mean anything… but I know it bothers you… and I don't want you to make a big deal about it… Mo!"

Hiou started to say, "I don't understa…" when Kanae grabbed his shirt collar, leaned forward, and kissed him softly on the lips. As quickly as it happened, it was over and she stepped back.

"That was your second gift. Don't make a big deal about it." And with that the very red-faced and flustered young lady stalked back into the restaurant.

Two people witnessed the event. Hiou's mom had wanted a word with her son. She had just glanced out towards the patio when she saw the kiss. Her soft mother's heart felt a flush of pleasure and hope for her tall young son.

The other person who saw was a very angry blond. She had actually argued to get the kiss scene into the script so that she could irritate her rival. But Kanae had won again.

The rest of the guests thought that maybe Hiou was still a little young to be out so late as they stopped to say good night. He seemed like he was in a different world.

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** Ok, I just had to throw that in. I hope it's at least a little plausible. I could not find any reference to either of the main character's birth dates. If you know, tell me. Hopefully it won't make this chapter obsolete.


	15. Fame (K -4)

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 15 – Fame (K -4)**

Marketing is everything. Take this simple test: Go grocery shopping today. Buy what you normally buy. Give in and pick up one item from the impulse rack in the checkout line (candy, magazines, etc.). Now take it all home and lay it all out on your dining room table. Did you buy any product that you never heard about before? Did you choose any name brand you are unfamiliar with? Did you choose the lowest possible price or the product you already know?

Somewhere among my readers there is one person who answered "yes" to all of these questions and is going "neh, neh, neh, ne-eh, neh" (you troublecauser). But the rest of you did what almost everybody does: you chose your items by name recognition and familiarity. And that, my dear reader, is because those companies are the best at marketing.

Yasuda Tamiko, the managing editor of Tokyo Premiere Magazine understood these principles well. That is why she was able to make her little idea for a celebrity spotlight magazine into a top-seller in just eleven years. And one of the key marketing techniques that Yasuda-san had learned to use very well was this: "Whatever attracts the eye, attracts the yen." People, no matter how they may look themselves, like to look at, talk about, and read about beautiful people. And so Yasuda Tamiko interspersed her magazine's publishing schedule with contests such as "Japan's Most Desirable Man" and "Japan's Most Beautiful Woman."

To make sure that these contests continued to be successes and the magazine sales grew in consequence, Yasuda used other techniques. She made deals with the talk shows to feature nominees and winners. She notified all of the news agencies about the progress of the contest. She held special publicity events. And, if a winner happened to be out of the country, she worked with the entertainment machine of the country where that person was.

This morning the gears of Australia's entertainment machine had Kotonami Kanae firmly in their grasp. The votes had been tallied and Kanae was among the "Top Ten Most Beautiful Women in Japan." Hence, her day, whenever she wasn't shooting, was filled with interviews from both Japanese and Australian news teams and entertainment shows.

Sophia Anderson was amazing. Without causing offense, she marshaled the supplicants in line and somehow managed to arrange for the maximum possible coverage with the minimum possible impact on the filming schedule. Director Shinai, also a marketing guru, was more than willing to help. He even arranged for Kanae's co-stars to be available for commentary about her. It was an exhausting day.

Her response to one particular interview question would be repeated and reprinted many times:

"Kotonami-san, what would you like to say to the Japanese public who awarded you this honor through their votes?"

"First of all, I want to thank you for honoring me with your thoughts and consideration. But then I would ask you to judge me by a much stricter set of measurements. Look at my character; am I honest, and reliable, and considerate of others. Look at my conduct; do I do what I have promised to do? Would you allow me in your home? Look at my talent; do I give my absolute best to every role that I play? Do I support the other cast members so that they can give their absolute best?

"Beauty is vaporous and fleeting. Look behind me to the cast members of this movie. We have handsome Australian actors like Steven James, Andy Hammond, and Neil Grant. We have handsome Japanese actors like Uesugi Hiou and Eguchi Hanshiro. And we have one beautiful actress, Kouenji Erika, who is both Japanese and Australian. If our looks are the only thing that the people notice about us, then we will quickly be forgotten. We, each of us, want to be noticed for our talent, our dedication, our work ethic, and our character."

* * *

While she considered the award a dubious honor, she did appreciate the messages and telegrams from her friends:

"Congratulations! It was a foregone conclusion that you would win, Moko-san. –Kyoko"

"Everyone at LME is very proud of you. I feel like a new father. – Takarada Lory"

"We love you, Moko-san! – Aiko Mari, Chiori Amamiya, and Takarada Maria

"Kuu and I both agree, your inside is just as beautiful as your outside – Julie and Kuu Hizuri"

But it was a phone message that she read over and over:

Some stars are so bright  
constellations must gather  
while we gaze in awe

Thank you for both gifts

* * *

Today three-quarters of the cast and crew were in Kununurra to film the frontier-town scenes. But before you read those, it is important to read one more arrival scenes.

**[**A Japanese-style ship warped into the harbor to be greeted by the sound of a brass band. As a group of dignified Japanese men stepped down the gangway, they were met by a delegation of three well-dressed Australian men.

"Good day, my name is Jonathan Sewell, the Superintendent of Trade for Victoria. These gentlemen are Marcus Straight, President of the Wool Merchants Guild, and Anthony Bancroft, President of the Textiles Guild. We are honored to welcome your trade delegation to our fine land."

The man who was obviously in charge of the Japanese group stepped forward. He extended a hand to Sewell, "Thank you for your welcome, Mr. Sewell…"

While these introductions were taking place three Japanese men in suits walked down the gangway, went around the delegations, and proceeded down the dock toward the town. The lead man, Furusawa Hitoshi, was medium sized, handsome and dignified. The other two men were large, and looked like pit-bulls.

As they reached the end of the dock, a small Chinese man caught Hitoshi's eye. The three men stopped while the small man spoke with them. He nodded, and then gestured for them to follow him.**]**

**[**Patrick Flanagan looked up as the three Japanese men entered and walked briskly towards the bar. "Not again! I'm bloody well sick of you Chinese vermin…" He stopped talking and the room went totally silent as Furusawa Hitoshi pointed a Colt 45 at his head and cocked it.

"I have need of information, Mr. Flanagan."

"What do you think your chances are of making it out of this bar alive with that revolver, you bloody fool?"

"In my country we tell the story of two men who were walking through the jungle when they met a tiger. Of course, they turned and ran. The first man said to the second, 'Why are we running? We can't outrun a tiger.' The second man answered, 'I don't have to outrun the tiger. I only have to outrun you.'

"You see, Mr. Flanagan. Your customers may very well be able to kill us, but it will make no difference whatsoever to you."

Patrick Flanagan gave a deep chuckle, and then he and the rest of the saloon erupted into laughter, "I like you, China-man. What kind of information do you want; and what can you pay for it?"**]**

_Scenes not described in detail: Hiroji learning how to work on a farm, with sheep. His skill improves over a series of scenes. In the same scenes we see him and the family growing closer together. Angela begins to flirt with him, and he begins watching her._

_Euiko and Gus move about the town from place-to-place, seeking information. They do not see the person who is shadowing them._

_The shadow meets with Hitoshi and Patrick to relay his observations._

_After a hard day of shearing, John tells the family that they will go into town to sell the wool. The three teens are exuberant._

**[**John and his daughter ride in the front of the wagon, while Simon and Hiroji ride horses. The wagon is piled high with bundles of shorn wool.

As they ride into town, several of the young men who are lounging around sit up straight at the sight of Angela. One particularly mean looking brute meets Hiroji's eyes and spits tobacco onto the dirt road.

While John is speaking with the local wool merchant, Angela, Simon, and Hiroji go into the mercantile.

In the background, Hiroji spots a large bowie-knife behind the counter and asks to see it. While the boys are admiring it, several of the big youths from outside come in and look around. One handsome but mean looking teen moves to where Angela is admiring at a saddle.

"Hain't seen ya around town for a while, Angela. Why don't you pick out somethin' nice and I'll buy it for ye?"

Angela looked up at him, "Angus, I wouldn't let you buy me a roofing nail. It's the middle of the day. Shouldn't you be out robbing banks or something productive?"

Simon, looking back, saw the gathering boys, "Uh oh. Trouble."

Hiroji assessed the situation. He handed the knife back to the man, "Please hold for me. I will come back to pay soon." The man looked at the boys' retreating backs in surprise.

"Angela, you're awful high-n-mighty for a sheep farmer's daughter. Now, ya marry me and you'll be able to move up in the world."

"Hah, you're dad may run the mill, but you haven't done a useful days work since you were born."

"Excuse me. I believe that you are unwelcome to Angela. Perhaps you should leave."

Angus and the others turned in surprise to look at the skinny oriental boy who was addressing them. "China boy, you don't belong here. I'll give ya one chance to walk out of here alive. Now git!"

"Simon, get Hiroji out of here. Get dad."

"Now Angela, that's not very hospitable. Why don't I just box this China-boys…aaugh!" As he reached out to grab Hiroji's shirt, Hiroji easily grabbed the hand and twisted the bigger boys arm until Angus was bent over in agony.

"Now, I suggest that all of you leave," Hiroji said, matter-of-factly.

As the other boys watched, Angus tried to lift up; he couldn't. He tried to reach his other hand under him and grab Hiroji; again he failed, "Ge-e-ett him!" He finally shouted.

Hiroji, mindful of the shop owner's property, fast-walked the bigger boy out of the door. Once they were out onto the wooden porch, he pushed Angus into the dusty street. The three other boys ran at him. He stuck a leg between the leading boy's two and tripped him right into the other two. Then he whirled to face Angus, who was rushing him. He let him come, grabbing the same arm as before and flipping the big boy into the air and on top of the other three. As they made to rise again, a rifle shot startled them all.

"Just what in Hades is going on here, boys?" The man wearing a policeman's badge asked.

Angela stepped forward, "Hello Stephen, Angus and his boys started harassing me. Hiroji and Simon came to my rescue."

Stephen looked at Hiroji, "He work for your dad, Angela?"

"Yes."

"You know that it's dangerous for a Chinaman to walk around this town these days. I wouldn't recommend that he comes back here." He turned to the four boys, "Angus, your dad said I should just lock you up the next time you stir up trouble. Now, I don't much care to feed you, so I'm gonna let you go. I hear there's all manner of trouble you can get into over in Melbourne. Why don't you just go there and be somebody else's problem for a while?"

Angus and the others gave Hiroji a dirty look, but trudged away.

Stephen turned back to the girl, "Angela, have you considered my offer? Marry me and you'll never have to put up with his type again."

Angela smiled, "Sorry, Stephen. I'm not planning on getting married until I'm forty. Take care now."

Hiroji, Simon, and Angela turned back to the store to find the storekeeper standing on the porch. He extended the knife to Hiroji, "Take it. That's the best show I've seen in years. About time somebody taught those bushwhackers a lesson."

Hiroji bowed his thanks, and the three headed towards the wagon. Simon turned to Hiroji as they walked, "You have _got_ to teach me how you do that."**]**

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** Yeah, you guessed it: Hiou found a way to get to carry his first gift from Kanae while he was on the set. (Of course, he cherished the second gift more)

The trade delegation in the first scene was real. They came to reach an agreement on the yearly purchase of mass quantities of wool. It was the first trade delegation between Japan and Australia. Although it took another ten years, it started a surge of trade between the two countries that continues today (Interrupted by WWII, of course).

The Colt 45 was the most traded hand gun in the world for many years. The Emperor himself was presented one as a gift around this same time frame.

Talk to me, please.


	16. Two for the price of one (K -4 and -3)

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 16 – Two for the price of one (K -4 and -3)**

_The following scenes, meant to take place over the course of almost a week in the storyline, were filmed within the two days that the cast and crew spent in Kununurra. The farm scenes in this chapter obviously were filmed later._

**[**Police Sergeant Stephen Cassidy watched the beautiful girl and the two boys walking toward the wagon. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead and face before replacing it in his pocket. Then he turned to the small building marked Post-Office and Telegrams.

The clerk looked up as he entered. "G'day Stephen. What can I do for ya?"

"Did you see the fight across the street, Roger?"

Roger snorted, "For as long as it lasted. That Chinee-feller took on all four'n them as easy as buttering bread. Hain't seen nothin' like it."

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinkin' too. Probably nothing, but your average Chinese kid doesn't know how to fight like that. Carries himself different too. Almost dignified. Anyway, I'm going to send in a dispatch on it to Victoria and Melbourne."

"Yer reg'lar morning cable?"

"Yeah. No sense wasting money on something like this. Probably come to nothing anyway."**]**

**[**The Stewart wagon headed out of town, this time with Spencer in the passenger seat. Angela turned to Hiroji, "Race ya." In a flash she was galloping away. Hiroji was fast on her heals as they crested the hills out of town. Once they were in the valley between the hills, Angela slowed and wheeled her horse. Hiroji slowed as well, not sure of her intent.

Angela had an odd smile on her face as Hiroji drew near. He halted completely as she passed. Suddenly she leaned over in her saddle and gave him a kiss on his lips. "Thanks for defending me, prince."

While he sat there, bewildered, she wheeled and galloped away again. Hiroji grinned and spurred his horse after her.**]**

**[**Simon and Hiroji were washing dishes when Simon asked, "Once were done here, can you show me a little of that fighting you done?"

"'Did' Simon," Angela said from the table, not 'done'."

"I can teach you the basics for self-defense. Much of it is our royal art. That I cannot teach. It is law to teach it only within the family."

"Will the basics let me do what you did today?"

"What I did to the first boy, yes. I used my family art to take down other boys. But I can teach basic techniques which can do the same thing."

"Can I learn too, Prince?"

Simon scowled at his sister, "Aww, sis. Why can't you do your own thing? He's _my_ friend."

"He may be your friend, but he's _my_ prince."

John Stewart chuckled as he smoked his pipe and read the paper, "May as well give in, Simon. I never won an argument with your mom when she was alive. The Stewart women are all the same."**]**

**[**_Silhouetted in the orange sunset three figures moved together through a simple kata._**]**

**[**Euiko was sitting in a fancy restaurant eating breakfast when Gus walked in and headed directly toward her. "Did you say that your prince had the same fighting skills as you do, Miss Hishida?"

"Yes." She looked up at him curiously.

"This came in yesterday morning. Nobody bothered to read it until today." He handed the telegram to her.

"Four against one. That does sound like him."

"Didn't you say that he is younger than you? I've heard of the one boy. He's a big brute."

"Age makes little difference. We begin our training at three years old. The prince was already a master at hand and weapon fighting when he was age twelve."

Gus whistled, "And is he as good as you?"

"Much better. Tell me, where is this place?"

"About sixty miles to the north and east of here. If we leave by ten we can make it there by evening. But I should tell you that we can expect at least one rain storm."

"The host of this restaurant told me that at this time of the year you can have 'four seasons in one day.' If we wait for perfect weather, we will be waiting forever. I will gather my things."

"As you wish, m'lady," Gus said, giving her the slightest bow.**]**

**[**Patrick Flanagan looked up as the snitch ran in. He passed a note across the counter. Patrick read it, then said, "Get the Chinaman."**]**

**[**Simon and Hiroji looked up from the garden they were digging in to see a couple driving up in a wagon, with two young ladies sitting in the back, "They're here, Angela!"

Angela, dressed a pretty dress with puffy sleeves, her hair done up beautifully, stepped out of the ranch house. John Stewart stepped out of the barn with a pick fork in his hand. "Now don't dance all night, Angela. You'll wear all those poor farm boys out trying to keep up."

"If they can't keep up, they're not worthy, Dad." She glanced over at the boys and met Hiroji's eyes. She blushed as he continued to look at her. "Beth said her dad can bring me home late tomorrow."

The wagon came to a halt and Angela joined two other young ladies sitting on bed of the wagon. She waved as the wagon drove away.**]**

**[**Gus watched as Euiko finished tying her bundle down on her black horse, ending with the careful placement of her sword. "I've been meaning to ask you, Miss Hishida, do all women in your country carry those around?"

Euiko turned her gaze on him, "No Mr. Bryant. Not even in the royal courts. But my father wanted me to be capable of anything. He was a great fighter and swordsman as a young man. Because he didn't have a son, so he passed his learning and skill onto me."

"I see. Well, hopefully you won't need it on this trip."

"It depends on the prince."

"What do you mean?"

"If the prince will not come by his own choice, then I must defeat him and bring him."

"Didn't you say he was better than you?"

"It makes no difference. My mission is to bring him back, so that is what I must do."

"You are a stubborn woman," Gus said admiringly as the wheeled their horses and headed north.

"Thank you."**]**

**[**_Scene shows Furusawa Hitoshi, his two henchmen, and seven Australians on horses thundering out of town._**]**

**[**Gus and Euiko rode into the small frontier town. As they pulled up to the local hotel and saloon they noticed several bruised and bandaged men sitting and leaning against posts.

"What happened here?" Gus Bryant demanded.

One of the men looked up, "Bunch of bushwhackers rode in with three Chinese. Wanted to know about the Stewarts and that tough Chinese boy."

Gus and Euiko looked at each other in alarm, "Where's Cassidy?"

"Shot dead; when he found out what they were after, he tried to stop them. A big German man just shot him down in the street."

"You said they were asking about some Stewarts; where might they live?"

"Sheep farm, out about twenty miles east. Easy to find if you follow this road. Just afore Spencer's Gully."

Gus turned to Euiko. "Any ideas who these three Asian people are?"

"No. I do not understand; but I believe that we must hurry."

"I agree. If they rode that fast from Melbourne their mounts must be pretty winded. We may catch them sooner than we think. Let's go." The bruised and battered men on the porch watched the retreating figures.

"Can't see how the two of them expect to do anythin' against ten."**]**

*** * ***

"What do you have, Sergio?"

"He broke his pattern and sent us another email."

"And it says?"

"Two, two, two for the price of one."

Renate sighed, "More riddles. I already have a pretty good idea what this one means."

"Yeah, I thought you might. Any insights on the men?"

"It's like looking for a needle in a mountain of needles. More than half of the men involved in this project are in their twenties and incredibly handsome. I think we can eliminate the Japanese cast members, but that still leaves us with about eighteen men to worry about. Did John Murphy help us out?"

"When has he _ever_ been able to tell you no? The devices should arrive by FedEx tomorrow before noon. Now you just have to figure out how to get the girls to let us put them in their mouths. You're going to have to square the cost with the boss later."

"I don't like this, Sergio. I don't like it at all. There's just too much open country around here. If he snatches them he could go in almost any direction."

"The entire law enforcement body of Australia is aware of this threat. The Australian national police assure me that they're watching all of the roads."

"What about Yarra Range National Park? That's where the ladies will be in three more days."

"They're on it. Relax, ma'am. We're doing everything we can."

"Let's hope its enough. These are good girls, Sergio. They don't deserve to be put through this."

"Don't let yourself get attached, ma'am. It'll spoil your sense of perspective."

"That's the pot calling the kettle black. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Sergio."

*** * ***

At the end of the day, Hiou realized that the kiss he had been so worried about hadn't mattered to him at all. The _other_ kiss, though, would be one that he would remember forever.

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** During the 1870s and 1980s there was a resurgence of criminal gangs calling themselves * "bushwhackers" or "bush rangers." The most notorious of these was Ned Kelly, Australia's answer to Jesse James or Billie the Kid. The term became generic and was applied to any gang, such as the one hired by Furusawa Hitoshi. Single farms and small one-street towns were very vulnerable to these roving gangs of outlaws.

* (The wilderness areas of the interior were originally referred to as "the Bush"; the term "Outback" was adopted later.)

Nowadays we associate the term "bushwhacker" with the concept of shooting unsuspecting victims from concealment. This may be due to a specific attack where a Sergeant Kennedy was brutally gunned down by Kelly and his gang from a out of the dark night. Of course, when Hollywood latched onto the term for it's westerns, everyone assumed it began in the U.S.A.

Now that I have added to your general fund of useless knowledge, I'm going to bed. Enough history for one sitting. G'morning, gd'afternoon, and gd'night.


	17. Encounters (K -3 and -2)

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 17 – Encounters (K -3 and -2)**

A rifle-shot shattered the early morning quiet. Kanae watched in fascination as Erika, astride her tall brown stallion, thundered past, wheeled, and made another run. Once again, as her horse flew across the rugged terrain, Erika aimed her rifle and fired. Once again the target shattered; pieces of wood were still in the air as her horse took her past the target.

Without even thinking about it, Kanae started to clap. She was startled when she realized that at least twenty others were clapping as well. Erika basked in the applause as she socketed the rifle into its riding boot and gently rode her beautiful brown towards her retainer. He stepped forward and offered her a bottle of water as she came to a stop. Surprisingly, she offered the almost beautiful man a smile.

Then she turned her regard to Kanae, and smirked. "Well, who's better now?"

Kanae gave her rival a genuine smile, "You ride like you were born on a horse, Erika-san. And your marksmanship is amazing! Where did you learn to shoot like that?"

Erika almost started to smile, but then her face twisted in derision, "Stop that! I don't understand what you're up to, but just stop it! Don't you have an interview to give or something?" She furiously wheeled her horse and galloped away.

"She's not all bad, you know, Kotonami-san," a deep, rich voice said.

Kanae turned a startled face to look at Albert Foss, the one servant Erika had chosen to keep. She naturally despised weak, doting men, so she had not paid him any attention up to this point. "Uh..um, I'm sure you're right. But she sees me as her enemy, so she'll never show me her good side."

"I don't know. She seems to place more stock on your opinion than on anyone else's." He was looking at her with a calm, honest expression. Like all of Erika's male shadows, he was handsome, almost beautiful. But where the others seemed almost effeminate and weak, he seemed more masculine and dependable.

"You're not the usual type of man Erika-san seems to keep around."

Foss bowed. "Thank you for the compliment."

And with that they both turned and watched Erika as she leapt her horse over a barrier wall.

* * *

Hiou and Andy were seated with Hiou's manager and her fiance when Kanae carried her tray to the table. The other two males stood, and Hiou moved to pull out her chair. She gave him a small smile, which made his heart leap. Kanae spoke to the older man once they were all seated again. "How was your business trip, Mr. Andrews?"

"It was very productive, but I missed Yuki terribly," The tall, very handsome Englishman gently touched Matsuda's arm. The pretty, young manager blushed with delight.

Richard Andrews had encouraged his fiancé to resume her manager duties when he found out that Hiou would be filming in Australia. He had already intended to make an extended stay in Australia while he worked on expanding his import/export business. This allowed him to continue to spend time with his fiancé while still conducting business. He had been in Australia long before the first day of shooting.

Kanae wanted to like the man for Matsuda's sake, but she didn't appreciate the way that his eyes had lingered on her a little too long and all too often. Since a very young age Kanae had learned to accept that boys and men liked to look at her. She had learned to categorize the acceptable gazes and the unacceptable. She even understood that married men could still "appreciate" the sight of a beautiful girl without any bad intentions. Unfortunately, she felt that this man's gaze fell more often into the "unacceptable" category. Still, she was polite to him for Matsuda's sake.

"Kanae-san," Hiou interrupted her thoughts, "I think that you should do at least two more run-throughs with Tsukada Ishi today before filming."

Kanae met Hiou's serious eyes and nodded. "I agree. I feel like a kitten facing a tiger every time I get close to him." Tsukada played one of Furusawa Hitoshi's two giant henchmen. He stood 6'3", weighed in at 245 lbs, and was solid muscle. He was also, in reality, one of the nicest men you could ever meet.

Andy chuckled. "You also need to get him to fight seriously against you. He acts like you're a Ming vase every time you spar." Hiou, surprisingly, didn't seem to mind Ishi's crush on Kanae. The big man had been a friend of the family since before he was born and he had always treated Hiou special.

Kanae had all the adulation she could stand after all of the interviews yesterday, so she changed the subject. "You should have seen Erika-san riding and shooting this morning. I had no idea she had that kind of skill."

Andy grunted and swallowed the food in his mouth, "Yeah, my father taught her. Her parents are never around, so she came and stayed with us sometimes. She liked my father, but she always treated me like something the cat spit up."

"I worked two summers at a stable so that I could learn to ride, but I doubt I'll ever be that good," Kanae sighed.

"Don't worry. She'll probably never be as good with a sword. You've made amazing progress in such a short time." He spoke with a little chagrin. Andy was frustrated with his own progress in comparison to hers. Of course she was still training at least two hours out of every day.

"Don't compliment her too much, Andy. She still has far to go," Hiou said, still in sensei-mode. Kanae raised one eyebrow at him; then she uncharacteristically stuck out her tongue.

* * *

**[**Furusawa Hitoshi and Franz Neider, the big German, sat on their horses and watched the two riders approaching in the distance. They were on one side of a knoll so that they and their companions were hidden from view.

"Ve know where ze boy is now. Ve should kill zose two before zey become a problem."

Hitoshi looked at the big man, and then back at the road, "I want the princess alive. I will make a present of her to my emperor. You can do what you want with the man. I'll leave one of my men to capture her."**]**

**[**Euiko and Gus were galloping down the road when suddenly a shot rang out and Gus jerked back, falling off of his horse. As Euiko turned her head back to see what had happened, a big man on a black horse surged out of the ravine and charged right into the flank of her horse. Euiko was just able to jump backwards as the horse staggered and fell.

The big oriental man charged at her again as she lay sprawled and momentarily stunned. Her hand found a stone and she threw it with all her might at his chest. It hit him squarely, causing him to release the reigns and lay back just as his horse jumped over Euiko's fallen mount. He fell to the ground with a crash. Euiko crawled rapidly forward and untied her sword.

Meanwhile Gus lay prostrate on the road as two big men laughed and joked in a strong Irish brogue. His hand crept slowly towards his holstered weapon as they walked down the hillside toward him.

Euiko leapt back, sword in hand, as the big Japanese man began working his way to his feet. He saw her standing there, sword ready, and smiled. Then he stood to his full height, and gave a dramatic stretch to show off his powerful build. He drew his own sword, which had been hanging from his side, and grinned, "It would be a mistake to fight me, little princess," he said in a deep, mocking voice. "First of all, you cannot win. And second, I do not want to cause permanent harm to such a pretty little thing. You are to be a present to my Emperor."

"You're Japanese? Why are you here? What do you want with the prince?"

The big man laughed, "Your little country is finished, princess. In a few months it will belong to the Emperor, and your 'royal' families will be turned out into the street like urchins. Your prince does not like us, and he could cause problems. So we are here to remove him."

"Sho Boku will never let that happen," Euiko said, trying to convince herself.

"Sho Boku is weak. He cannot hope to field an army strong enough to oppose us, and he knows it. He will bow down to the Emperor. And you shall be a gift to the Emperor."

"I will die first."

"If that is your wish," The big man said simply. And then he advanced.

The two Irishmen continued to talk carelessly as they approached the body of the police officer. Suddenly he rolled over and shot one man. As the other fought to draw the revolver he had put away, Gus aimed and took a second shot.

The Japanese man, hearing the shots behind him, smiled, "It seems they have finished off your man. Now all we have to do is collect you." He raised his sword and rushed towards her. She crouched low, taking his blow on her sword and then slicing his leg as he surged past.

He turned to face her again and looked down at his leg, "You have first blood. You should have aimed for a vital spot instead."

"It is not our practice to kill when we can disable."

"Then it is unfortunate for you that I do not have the same restrictions." He rushed her again. This time they began cautiously matching blow for blow. The dust clouds rose as their shuffling feet seemed to make an intricate dance on the dry ground.

Gus, with the blood of a flesh-wound soaking his left sleeve, watched the struggle and tried to get a bead on the big man. But they were moving too quickly, the dust made it hard to see, and his wounded arm was making it difficult to hold the revolver steady.

Euiko gasped as she received a slice along her left forearm, but she didn't slow down. The bigger man's strength and size were telling. She was clearly weakening when she stumbled backwards on a rock. The big man grinned and rushed forward, but Euiko defensively stepped forward with a side-stroke that connected with the man's belly and sliced deeply as he stepped past her.

He fell to his knees, his face a mask of agony as blood dribbled from the side of his mouth and poured over his clutching hands. Euiko stood there stunned as he toppled into the dust, face-first. Gus stumbled up to her. "We have to go, Princess."

"I've never killed a man before," she said in a stunned voice.

Gus grabbed her bleeding arm and wrapped his handkerchief around it, "Well you may have to do it a lot more if we hope to save your prince."

Euiko looked at his bleeding arm. "How bad is it?"

"Flesh wound, but it stings like the dickens. I need you to wrap it to stop the bleeding. Then we need to choose two of the best horses and get back on the road."**]**

**[**Hiroji and the Stewart men were herding their sheep toward home when John spotted the strangers moving around his ranch. "Looks like trouble. Could be bush rangers, though I can't guess what they'd want with us."

He looked at the two teens. Hiroji was wearing his sword and Simon was wearing a wooden practice-sword that Hiroji had fashioned for him. He reached down and unstrapped his revolver, "Simon, put this on. You boys stay here. If they turn out to be trouble, you ride hard for the Yarra Mountains. You know it well, and the forest there is still too dense for them to chase you down with horses."

"What about you," Simon asked, deeply concerned.

"It's probably nothing. But if it is trouble, its better to face it alone and know that you're safe."

"But dad…" Simon started to protest.

"Do as I say! I'm just glad that Angela's not here. Now you boys keep watch. Remember, ride for the Yarras."**]**

**[**Hitoshi and the other men watched the lone man approaching. As he drew closer, they began to circle him.

"What can I do for you gents?" John asked politely.

"You can tell us where the oriental boy is."

John looked at the Japanese man and the larger, mean-faced one who sat his horse slightly behind him, "If you mean that Hiroji chap, he's long gone now, mate. Didn't much like the work here."

Hitoshi studied the farmer's face, "I think that you are lying, Mr. Stewart. Where are your children."

"I can't see as its any of your business, mister. Now why don't you and your boys here head on back where you came from?"

John heard the click-click of a revolver being cocked. He turned to look into the muzzle. "Herr Shtewart, ve hav no desire to harm your family. Give us ze boy, and ve will leave you alone. Stop vasting our time."

John Stewart, caught in an impossible situation, did the only thing he could think of: He ducked out of the line of the pistol and spun his horse into the German's horse. Franz was thrown backward as his horse reared. John spurred his own horse away from where he knew the boys were watching, hoping to lead the men away.

Hitoshi calmly drew his Colt and took aim. As the pistol barked, John's progress was arrested and he fell limply off of his horse.

"NO-O-O!!" Simon yelled. All of the men looked up and saw the two boys on the hillside.

"Ride Simon!" Hiroji commanded. "You must honor your father's wishes!"

Simon took one more tearful look at his father's fallen body and then the two boys galloped off towards the distant mountains. The men immediately spurred their mounts in pursuit. Franz wrestled his own horse under control, glanced at the fallen man, and followed the others.**]**

**

* * *

**

**Notes:**

It's getting exciting now! (At least for me)

I really would love to make this into a movie. It's so much fun to visualize it in my head.


	18. Torrential downpour (K -2)

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 18 – Torrential downpour (K -2)**

"I still don't understand why we shouldn't just tell the young ladies," Detective Sergeant Meers protested.

Renate sighed as she rubbed her temples, "We've been over this with you before, Mike. We notified the last two victims. All it did was expose our undercover people. In both cases other people took over. Once the girls were out of our control we couldn't protect them anymore.

"This isn't your run-of-the-mill kidnapper here. He doesn't even need the money anymore. He has millions. Now he's doing it for the thrill of matching his wits against ours. If we move too soon it will be checkmate; and we will be the ones laying down our king.

"Now let's go over this again…"

*** * ***

It had poured all night, making the trails muddy and slick. Director Shinai had to weigh safety against schedule and impact. The actors voted in on the side of impact. The mud and rain would add to the eerie, somber feeling of the chase scenes and the battles. Finally, he relented; the scenes would be shot, but the rain would be faked in order to protect the filming equipment.

**[**_Simon and Hiroji thunder past the screen. The camera pans; following them and showing the blackening sky they are riding towards. Lightening flashes spectacularly, revealing a mountain range in the distance. The scene switches to the bush rangers in hot pursuit_**]**

[Gus and Euiko ride into the farm yard. Euiko rapidly dismounts to check on the man laying on the ground. "He's alive!"

"I think that's John Stewart. Met him once at a fair. Don't see any of the young hereabouts."

They both hear the rumbling of a wagon. It crested the hill a moment later. An older man held the reigns. Beth was riding beside him, while Angela, still in her evening finery, rode on the other side of the bench. As soon as they pulled up, Angela jumped out of the wagon and ran to where Euiko was supporting John.

"Father!"

"He is alive. It appears to be a shoulder wound."Euiko said, trying to comfort the girl.

"Who are you? Who did this?" Angela demanded angrily.

"Who I am is not important. The men who did this must be chasing your brother and Prince Mobutu. Do you know where they might have ridden?"

John groaned, opened his eyes, "Angela? Shouldn't be here… not safe."

"Their gone, dad. Where are the boys?"

"Yarra Mount…" He passed out again.

"Beth, Mr. Brighton, please help me get him inside!"

"I will also help. Where are the Yarra Mountains?"

"I know where they are, Princess. We'll need to get moving. Mr. Brighton, please join me and leave the ladies to attend to Mr. Stewart?"

"Like hell!" Angela shouted as she glared at the tall officer in his saddle. "Beth, you stay with Dad and attend to him. I'm going after Simon."

"I don't think that's a good…" Before Gus could finish his statement Angela was on her father's horse, rifle in hand, galloping off towards the blackening skies.

"Never could tell her anything," Phillip Brighton said. "Beth, you take care of John. We'll be back as soon as we can."

"Be careful, Dad."

Gus, Euiko, and Phillip Brighton also disappeared over the low slope.**]**

**[**The rain fell in torrents. Simon reigned in so that Hiroji could ride close. He leaned over and shouted through the noise, "This rain on hard ground will make lakes in no time. Stay behind me and follow exactly in my trail!"

Hiroji shouted back, "OKAY!"

They moved on through the torrential downpour, only much slower.**]**

**[**The men with Hitoshi did not slow down. Suddenly one of the horses plunged chest-deep into the water. The others ignored him and kept moving. Cursing, he crawled out of the sink-hole and turned to look at the whinnying horse. He tried to help the animal climb out, but to no avail.

Finally he drew his weapon and shot the animal.**]**

**[**The mountains filled the horizon as the boys continued the wend their way through the water that was now flowing like a river over the ground. "Not far now!" Simon shouted.**]**

**[**The rain was so heavy that visibility was becoming poor as Angela rode along, still at an alarming pace. Suddenly there was a flash as the horseless man took aim and fired at her. He was nothing but a blur in the distance as Angela lifted her rifle. She never even slowed down as she aimed, pulled the trigger, and rode on.

The man collapsed into the water, lifeless next to his dead horse.**]**

**[**As suddenly as it started, the downpour was over. Gus, Euiko, and Phillip Brighton rode more carefully than Angela through the muddy, flowing water.

"We're lucky," Gus said as they rode. "Up north we could expect crocodiles to jump out of water like this. It's too cold here."

"Plenty of snakes, though," Mr. Brighton said grimly.**]**

**[**The boys were in the foothills of the Yarra range. They led their mounts along a steep trail. The horses, the boys, and even the plants were steaming after the torrential downpour.

The timber on the lower foothills had been harvested years before, so the terrain was bushy and full of browning stumps. Unusual animal sounds could be heard on every side.

Hiroji laid a hand on the other boy's shoulder, "He may still be alive, Simon."

Simon growled in anger, "Yeah, well he may not be alive too."

"I am sorry."

"Nevermind. I know these mountains like the back of my hand. Dad, Angela, and I have spent lots of time hunting and just hiking here. We're going to find a good place to trap those bastards. I'm going to kill every last one of them."

"Killing them will not return your father…"

"Stow it, mate. You can help me, or you can go cringe behind some bush. But they're right behind us, and they're not worried about shooting us."

Hiroji looked at Simon for a long moment, "I will help you, my friend."

"Good, mate. Let's get moving. We'll tie off the horses just ahead."**]**

[Gus, Euiko, and Phillip were surprised to find Angela waiting for them at the bottom of the foothills.

"I know where Simon's leading them. He must plan on taking them out one-by-one. I count six horses," Angela turned to face the trio, fire in her eyes, "They'll be lucky to even reach the boys. Last year there were over twenty fatal snake bites around here. After that rain, the browns will be out in droves hunting mice."

She looked back up into the hills. "Gird up your loins, boys and girls, we're goin' hunting."

As the three dismounted Gus took a look at Euiko, "I sure would feel better if you stayed back here, Princess. You don't even have a firearm."

"Do not worry, Mr. Bryant. I will take care of myself."

"I'm waiting!" Angela said loudly and pointedly.**]**

**[**"Right, we'll set our first trap here," Simon said determinedly. They stood in a path that led up a ravine. The center of the path was a stream of run-off that ended in a long drop.

Simon pointed up the hill, "Use that big knife of yours to start hacking off tree limbs. Throw them down to me."**]**

**[**Phillip Brighton looked down as Euiko climbing up the path. As Gus drew up next to him he asked, "You sure it's a good idea to let her come along? She doesn't seem like the bush... aaugh!"

He jumped back as Euiko's sword sang by him, "What the…" He looked down as Euiko jabbed one half of a brown snake and lifted it up for him to see.

"Mr. Brighton, please pay attention to where you are going."

Gus chuckled, "Phillip, I suspect that the Princess can make-do just about anywhere."

Angela looked back and scowled, "Princess? Hiroji didn't say anything about having a sister."

"I am not his sister. I am his teacher."

Gus whistled, "Didn't none of my teachers look like you. If they had I might have stuck around a little longer."

Angela scowled and kept up the trail. She stopped again and looked back at Euiko, "You sure that's _all_ you are to Hiroji?"

Euiko met the blond girl's eyes. "For the moment, yes."

Angela scowled as she continued up the trail. She muttered to herself, "For the moment. What's that supposed to mean?"**]**

**[**"I don't like this. Even the bushmen don't like to come in here," one of Neider's men griped.

"Be quiet, you coward," Franz hissed. His face showed disquiet with their surroundings. "How much trouble can two boys really cause us, anyvay?"

Hitoshi looked back at the big man, "If one of them is Motubu Hiroji, there is much problem he can cause. He was trained to fight from a very young age. Only my man and I have a chance against him."

"He certainly cleaned your clock, Franz," one of the men called out.

"Shut Up! If I ever catch ze boy, I vill show him a ting or two." Everyone chose to be silent, though there was an anonymous chuckle.

They came to a shallow ditch and looked for sign. A broken branch up and to the left showed where the boys had passed. "Right," the first man said. He went to step on the trail and suddenly found himself slipping. Suddenly the entire ground under him started to move. He tried to grab for anything to stop himself, but then it was too late. As he screamed in fear he was suddenly plummeting sixty feet to the ageing stumps below.

The others looked at the trail, which now showed that the shallow ditch was in-fact a slick ravine. Hitoshi met Franz's bewildered gaze. "Obviously we must worry about the other boy as well."**]**

**[**Simon and Hiroji stopped walking when they heard the man's terrified scream.

Simon's eyes met Hiroji's bleakly, "Come on mate, lots still to do."

They started to work their way up a steep grade when Simon suddenly threw back a restraining hand. "Look up."

Hiroji looked up and saw a huge brown snake hanging in coiled loops over the trail.

Simon looked the area over, "Hiroji, you still got that twine we were using to hang targets?"

Hiroji reached into his back pocket and pulled out the thick bundle of twine.

"Stay right here. If that thing falls, draw your sword and kill it. Don't let it bite you."

He climbed up the side of the hill to the base of the tree. Then he worked his way carefully out onto the limb, about five feet from the snake, and tied one end of the twine to it. He let the rest fall and climbed back down. A few minor detail and they were climbing again.**]**

**[**Yasuda Enji, the second henchman, triggered the second trap. He barely noticed the twine when it caught his huge left leg. He took another step, felt the annoying tug, and yanked his foot forward. He was already moving on when the twelve foot snake dropped on the Irishman behind him.**]**

**[**Gus and Phillip were just looking at the body of the man who had plunged to his death when the second scream made all four of them jump.

Angela gave a wicked smile, "That's Simon for you. Dad say's the boy can't shoot to save his life, but he's the best trapper he's ever seen. I almost feel sorry for them."**]**

**

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**

**Notes:** It's getting intense! What can possibly happen next? Stay tuned for previews from our next episode… (Just kidding. I hope your enjoying it so far)

I have probably offended somebody by having the man shoot his crippled horse. I can only say that that's exactly what would happen.

Another item for your general fund of useless knowledge: The Yarra mountains were once densely forested. It is true that the area was avoided by the bushmen, who loved wide-open terrain. In the 1850's and 1860's lumber companies began to harvest the area. Now it has been made into a national park.


	19. The Battle of Yarra Range (K -2)

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 19 – The Battle of Yarra Range (K -2)**

**[**Angela was still in the lead as they trudged up the winding trail. Gus was next, but his face looked flushed and sweaty and his lips were curled in a grimace. Euiko followed Gus and Phillip was last. Phillip, an older man and leaning towards overweight, was wheezing in the damp afternoon air.**]**

**[**There were only four men left: Furusawa Hitoshi, Yasuda Enji, Franz Neider, and Lem McGruder. They all looked the worse for wear, but the two Europeans, used to city life, were struggling to breath. As Franz took each step he cursed and promised retribution. McGruder simply kept his head down and moved on.**]**

**[**The boys stood on the prominence of a long ridge stretching east to west.

Simon pointed towards the east, "If we follow this till morning we'll hit Rose River. We can drop down there and head south towards civilization."

He looked up at the sky, "'Bout 4:30 or so. That means Angela'll be home by now…" His mind drifted off and the hand that had been shading his eyes dropped limply to his side. "We've got to make it out of here, Hiroji. Angela will need us now."

Hiroji placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "We will, my friend. We will."

Hiroji stepped off and Simon made to follow. As he brought up a sleeve to wipe his eyes his foot hit a soft spot in the path and he started sliding down the steep embankment. His effort to catch himself failed and he fell end-over-end. Hitoshi cried out his name and slid feet-first down to where Simon had fallen.

"Simon? Can you hear me?" He slid an arm under his friend's back and gently turned him over. Simon's leg was twisted into an unnatural position.

Simon groaned, "God, that was stupid. Dad would chew me out somethin' fierce for that sort of carelessness."

Hiroji looked his friend over. "I'm afraid you have broken your leg. Do you hurt elsewhere?"

"Just my bleedin' pride, mate. Not that it matters. There were seven of them at the farm. I know we got two. Even you can't take five men with guns."

"I must try. I cannot carry you up this hill, and it is not safe for you to stay here. Do you still have the revolver?"

"Turn me over. Yeah… gently! Can you reach it?"

"I have it." Hiroji laid his friend back against the hillside again. "Keep still and quiet. Do not call out, no matter what you hear."

Hiroji started to rise, paused, turned back to his friend. He unstrapped the bowie knife from his belt. "Keep this with you. I will be back for you and for it, my friend." With that he disappeared into the mist.**]**

**[**Furusawa Hitoshi and the others pushed through the undergrowth and emerged at the beginning of the ridgeline. All four men sat to take a moment's rest.**]**

**[**Gus stumbled on the path, tried to catch himself and fell hard. Euiko and Angela both scrambled back to him. As they turned him over they saw that his left side was covered in blood.

"You should have told me that your wound had re-opened. You must rest here, Mr. Bryant. You wound has opened and you can do no more now."

Angela looked up as Phillip Brighton wheezed and stumbled into view. "Mr. Brighton, we're running out of daylight and we need to move fast. You stay with Mr. Bryant here."

Brighton could only nod in agreement. As Euiko rose, Gus grabbed her sleeve. "What is it, Mr. Bryant?"

"Gus."

"What is it, Gus?"

"Today you may have to kill again, Princess. To protect what's important." He was breathing hard with the effort of speaking.

"I understand, Gus. We will be back."

With that the two young ladies continued alone up the mountain.**]**

**[**_A muzzle extends out of the bushes and the trigger is pulled back with a "click, click." The bushes down the trail move, giving evidence of an approaching party. The camera focuses on a dirty finger resting on the trigger._

Hiroji took a deep breath and prepared to fire as two females suddenly emerged on the trail, "Angela?"

Angela brought her rifle up to fire as a figure slid out of concealment and down onto the path. "Hiroji!?"

Hiroji started to wipe off the mud when he recognized the second figure and stopped in shock, "Hishida-san!? What? But how?"

Angela, clearly not liking the look that passed between the two, spoke up, "Nevermind that. Where's Simon?"

"Pardon. Simon has fallen at the top of the ridgeline. I'm afraid that he broke his leg."

"Why are you here, then?"

"I was waiting to fight the men who killed your father."

"My father is alive, Hiroji. And those men are in front of us!"

"Then we must hurry." Hiroji shot another astonished look at Euiko and headed back up the trail.**]**

**[**As the three teens crested the hill they found five figures waiting for them. Franz Neider held an agonized Simon up by the back of his shirt. His right leg hung uselessly at an angle. Franz's other hand held a pistol to Simon's head.

Furusawa Hitoshi stepped forward. "Welcome, Prince Motubu. Princess Hishida. I am honored to meet you both together in such a faraway place."

"I cannot say that I consider it an honor to meet you here, Furusawa-san," Hiroji said.

"That is very rude and unworthy of you. A prince should always be courteous. Even when he is only a second-rate prince of a puppet kingdom. Now, please throw down your firearms or Franz will shoot the boy."

"That would be foolish. If we do this, what guarantee do we have that you will not shoot the boy anyway?"

"I am here for you, Prince Hiroji, and for the princess. All of Ryutyu speaks of your skill with a sword. I wish to put your skill to the test against my own sword. If you win, the boy goes free. Is this not an honorable solution?"

Yasuda leaned over and spoke softly to Hitoshi. Hitoshi looked at Euiko, "Princess, my man asks to know what has happened to my third man?"

Euiko met his eyes squarely. "He is dead."

Hiroji looked startled, while Hitoshi raised an eyebrow, "And was this by your sword?"

"It was."

"Then Yasuda-san requests the honor of matching your blade, while I deal with the upstart prince."

"And why should I do this?"

"Because, if you don't, the boy will die and we will shoot you anyway. It is not often that I meet a woman of your beauty and skill. Perhaps I shall dispatch the prince quickly so that I may watch your fight.

"Now, Prince Hiroji, your firearms."

"Like hel…" Angela started to protest, but Hiroji cut her off with a commanding gesture. "I will win, Angela. Simon will be safe."

"He's older and bigger, Hiroji. You could be killed."

"Honor demands it be so. Please trust me."

Angela looked at him, looked at Simon. Simon, despite his pain, nodded. "Fine, but first I want you to let my brother sit down. He's got a broken leg, damn you!"

Hitoshi nodded to Franz, who sat the boy down roughly so that he rolled onto his side in agony. Angela's rifle came up, "You bastard!"

She didn't fire because Lem now held a pistol to the boy's head. She threw the rifle down angrily.

Hitoshi holstered his pistol and drew his sword. The other three drew their swords as well. Each person maneuvered until the paired combatants had a clear area to fight; and then they attacked.

Few white men in the 19th century had ever had the privilege to see a genuine swordfight fought by trained swordsman. Even those with cavalry training only learned the basics. Today the four whites witnessed the combined skills of four people who had trained since the first day they took a step. If it weren't so deadly serious, it would have been beautiful.

With the low-lying sun in the background the matched pairs whirled and thrust and parried in a dance as ancient as the Bronze Age, perhaps even further in the distant past. The light flashed on the polished blades as they swung and slashed and thrust. Each person studied and looked for an advantage, an opening, a "tell" that would expose the other's weakness. But there were few weaknesses.

Even the two hardened Europeans became captivated by the struggle; enough so that Lem allowed his pistol to rest at his side rather than against Simon's head. Brother and sister's eyes met in quiet communication. She saw his eyes drift down, saw that his hand was touching the hilt of Hiroji's big knife which he had hidden in his boot. She schooled her expression and turned her head back to the sword battle. But her eyes measured the distance between her and her rifle… and her father's pistol that Hiroji had thrown down.

It was exhaustion that became the weak point in all of the combatants. With the exception of Hiroji, everyone else had ridden through the morning and then into the afternoon. All four had made the exhausting climb into the humidity of this mountain range. Arms were becoming weak, and the fluid and beautiful movements early in the battle were becoming slower, more deliberate now.

Euiko once again felt like she was being beaten back by another giant Japanese man. For his part he was breathing heavily, sweat pouring down into his eyes as he fought to subdue his more agile opponent. He growled, driving his blade down repeatedly in order to break down her guard.

Hiroji, on the other hand, was gaining a clear advantage over the older Japanese man. His movements were lightning fast and he was driving the man back, and back.

Yasuda Enji saw Euiko drop down to one knee. With a roar of triumph he rushed forward. But Euiko had planned her move. She made a rapid knee-step which moved her two feet forward. As the big man looked down in surprise she drove her sword through his chest.

Franz, seeing the big man fall, made to draw his pistol. Simon had been waiting; he grasped the bowie knife, rolled towards Lem and stabbed the blade up into the man's belly. Franz, still drawing his weapon, turned in surprise. Angela took advantage of his distraction to throw herself towards her father's pistol. Just as Franz caught her movement and turned, she fired.

Now only Hitoshi was left. Hiroji was still driving him back along the ridge. In a desperate effort to regain the momentum he tried to sidestep the prince. His foot found the same weakened bank that has caught Simon. He only made a slight, startled gasp before he disappeared over the edge. When Hiroji and Euiko stepped to the edge they saw his body sprawled across a stump far below.**]**

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** Wow, I'm so tired from writing about this chase scene and battle that I feel almost as if I fought it myself.

This may be a little violent for some tastes. Unfortunately I can't see another outcome in my mind. The type men who chased the prince were an unfortunate reality in that particular time period. Although the actual incidents of murder were few, they were spontaneous and brutal. There will not be anything else to this degree in the rest of the story.

I sincerely hope that it all made sense to you. Don't worry, neither the movie nor the story are over.

Please review and let me know if any of this made sense.


	20. Spa Treatment (K -1)

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter Twenty – Spa Treatment (K -1)**

Elegance and grace  
are mere outer evidence of  
your inner beauty

Kotonami Kanae, lying in her hotel bed, felt anything but elegant, graceful, or beautiful as she read Hiou's latest haiku. Three solid days of horseback riding, hiking, and fight scenes in dust and rain and mud had taken their toll. Today everyone had a much-needed day-off to rest and recuperate.

As much as she would have loved to lay right there on the bed for the entire day, she knew it was impossible. The producers had paid for a day at a five-star day spa as a gift to all of the ladies in the cast and crew who had worked so hard. Nobody said what would happen to the men, and at the moment none of the ladies cared. The bus would leave right after breakfast.

Feeling every muscle, tendon and joint, Kanae levered herself out of bed and trudged towards the shower. Her appearance when she looked in the mirror was so startling that she almost jumped back. Then she had the random, amusing thought that she should walk out to breakfast just like this. _That would be the end of this 'most beautiful woman' nonsense. Maybe all of the men would stop trying to hit on me. Maybe Hiou…_

She stepped into the shower and let the hot water sooth her tired body.

Hiou had been on her mind all too often lately. When he was just an obnoxious, bossy little boy his affections had been easy to ignore. But in the last month he had finally passed her in height. His face was becoming that of a man. His voice was settling into a rich, deep, pleasant sound, almost hypnotic… _stop that!_ The other ladies in the cast had said that! It wasn't _her_ thought.

She had intended, over and over again, to tell Hiou to stop sending his little messages. But every day he sent one, and every day she read them. One day he hadn't sent one until late into the evening and she found herself checking her phone repeatedly until it finally came. It was so _irritating!_

He also treated her as an equal. Most men who were young enough to compete for her attention tried to coddle her and pamper her. They acted like she would break any moment, and they tried to do everything for her. This was one of the quickest ways to irritate her. _She_ had been taking care of her useless family since she was a child. _She_ had pulled herself away from the rest in order to make herself into the person she was today. She had worked hard for it, every step of the way. She was a professional and wanted to be acknowledged for it. Hiou seemed to understand that. When they were acting, he listened to her ideas and he shared his own. When they were sparring, he demanded perfection from her and showed total confidence that she could give him that perfection.

And then there was the kiss. Kanae had regretted it the moment she gave it. Not that it was unpleasant… _stop!_ She had regretted it because she had expected him to follow her around like a love-struck child for the remainder of their time in Australia. But he hadn't; in fact, there was only the one message "thank you for both gifts." It irritated and concerned her. A childish, love-struck boy she could handle. A mature, handsome young man who seemed to actually see beyond her outward appearance…

_Enough! Time for breakfast._

*** * ***

The ladies, most of them still bleary-eyed with sleep, were sitting together at the breakfast table. Everyone was exhausted. Some were injured. Sallie Hughes, a lighting specialist, had taken her own fall down a steep bank; luckily it had not been deep. This morning she had her sprained ankle tightly secured in a brace. Ichida Sumika, a sound specialist, had caught the microphone boom on a hanging tree limb; the long pole had yanked out of her hand and clobbered her on the side of her face. Even with make-up on the purple and blue bruises were still visible. Even Matsuda-san seemed to be injured. She claimed that her lip was swollen from being slapped by a branch that the person in front of her had pushed out of the way.

The men, for the most part, were still sleeping. Hiou, of course, had probably been up and practicing for the last hour. Kanae felt guilty for not being out there herself, but she quickly squashed the notion. Albert Foss, Erika's man-servant, was five feet behind her chair as usual. Director Shinai, ever the workaholic, was throwing back a quick breakfast so that he could view the out-takes and begin editing film while the cast was away.

The other man who showed up was Richard Andrews, Matsuda's fiancé. Kanae, ever observant, thought that she saw Matsuda flinch a little when her fiancé walked behind her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Good morning, my dear."

"Good morning, Richard."

"Good morning, ladies." Several of the other ladies seemed to be pleased to see the very handsome, suave man. But Erika clearly shared Kanae's dislike of him. Of course she felt no compunction about showing it. She gave the tall man a cold glare and returned her attention to her food. Kanae almost wished that she felt free to act the same as she felt the man's gaze slide (or slither) across her face and body. Matsuda seemed like such a nice person; Kanae couldn't understand why she would fall for such a lecherous man.

This morning her aches and pains made her feel extra intolerant. She laid her fork down, pushed away from the table, and made a vague apology. Without conscious intent she found herself standing at the edge of the clearing where Hiou was practicing his art.

News of the handsome young celebrity who had practiced in the clearing yesterday morning had reached the ears of the local teenaged population. This morning there were at least fifteen young girls, from about the age of eleven to eighteen, watching the handsome, tousle-haired Japanese boy fly through his complicated warm-up katas. To the untrained eye his movements seemed spontaneous and spectacular as he combated imaginary foes.

Kanae felt strangely irritated at the presence of the Australian girls. _It's hard enough to practice without a flock of magpies ooo-ing and cooing every time he does something cool. And why is she dressed like that?! It's chilly out this morning and that girl shouldn't be parading around in that skimpy…_

"Kanae." She felt a soft touch on her clenched fist and turned to see Sophia standing next to her, "The bus is here. We need to go." Sophia, ever the lady, didn't say anything about the blood that rushed to Kanae's cheeks at being found in the clearing.

*** * ***

As they walked to the bus, Kanae heard something that she had never expected to hear: Erika's servant was arguing with her.

"I don't like it, Lady Erika. I don't think that it's a good idea for you to go off on your own without me there to protect you."

"Stop arguing with me! None of the other ladies is taking a servant with them, so I can't either!" Erika shot a look over at Kanae, "I'm just like everyone else, see."

"Good morning Kouenji-san," Sophia said pleasantly, "Good morning Mr. Foss."

Foss, with a look of frustration and concern, nodded to the older woman. Erika walked away from him and boarded the bus. As Kanae passed, he held out an arresting hand, "Kotonami-san, please make sure that she doesn't get into trouble?"

Kanae saw the genuine concern on his face. "I'll do as much as I can, Mr. Foss. Don't worry, it's a spa; what can possibly go wrong?"

The producers had pulled out all of the stops. The bus was the most comfortable and luxurious possible and the ride was incredibly smooth. While Kanae drifted off to sleep, Sophia studied Matsuda-san. The pretty young lady had a gentle demeanor. She was sweet and polite to everybody around her. She was efficient and reliable in her management of Uesugi Hiou's busy schedule. And she was a total mismatch for her fiancé.

The man, as far as Sophia could tell, was a self-important boor. Oh sure, he was incredibly handsome and distinguished; but he was a boor nonetheless. Kanae and Erika were not the only ones who had seen his lecherous side. He looked at women like objects for his pleasure and he didn't seem to mind if they knew it. He pretended to be attentive and devoted to Matsuda, but he clearly wasn't intending to be faithful to her once they were married. _Is that busted lip really from yesterday's filming? I didn't notice it at the end of the day. Of course, it was getting dark when we returned to the hotel..._

*** * ***

Steam rooms, saunas, herbal treatments, massages, aroma therapy; the ladies didn't walk, they oozed from place to place. The staff members of the spa were so good at their profession that Kanae felt relaxed and no longer sore after the first two hours. The rest of the time was spent in swimming in the heated indoor pool; or sitting and sipping tea or fruit drinks in the luxurious tea room; or getting special treatments (at additional expense, of course).

Sophia, like Julie Hizuri, had the amazing ability to make anybody comfortable around her. The ultimate testimony to that fact was that even Erika seemed to warm up to her. Nevertheless, it was a surprise to everyone when Erika accepted Sophia's gift. It wasn't amazing that Erika accepted the special pedicure; it was surprising that she accepted when it meant that she and Kanae would spend an hour sitting together in the same room. Not that either lady spoke to the other during the treatment.

There are nerves in the feet that, if pressed correctly, can have profound effects on muscles, nerves, and even bodily functions. An expert pedicure masseuse can play a customer like a maestro leading a symphany orchestra. Kanae _thought_ she was relaxed before the treatment. But after fifteen minutes in the pedicure room, she felt like she could just melt through the cushions. Both girls fell into a deep and pleasant sleep. Neither girl noticed anything different when they were gently shaken awake thirty minutes later.

*** * ***

Few people ever realize that a successful movie is not just the product of the right script, the right director, and the right actors. All of these are crucial to success, but there is a dynamic that most people are never aware of: investment. No, this type of investment isn't about money; it is about every single person being completely and totally committed to making the movie a success.

Perhaps a short scenario would best illustrate this concept: A writer writes a script. The actors read the script and use the information to "form" their characters. The special effects people work with the lighting, sound, and camera experts to decide where to place everything to obtain the best possible scenes. The director has a hand in each part of this from the beginning to the end. Are they done? By no means.

Because an actor who is truly invested will talk with the camera people about the best angle to stand at a particularly crucial moment. The lighting people will speak with the make-up people about problems with shiny or dull skin-tones. The sound people will make note of the way that a particular actor pronounces certain words, note how certain words don't carry over well, and suggest changes. Everyone talks to everyone. Everyone looks for subtle ways to improve each and every scene until the moment that the film is pronounced "finished" and put "in the can." _That_ is what makes a truly great movie.

So it is only natural that actors and actresses talk to each other about ways to improve upcoming scenes. Kanae, as she boarded the bus for home, was deep in thought about the shoot the next day. The scenes would be complicated because the characters needed to communicate the multiple dynamics of relationships, internal and external conflicts, and life-changing decisions. Words would not be enough, facial expressions, inflection, proximity, placement, and camera angles; everything had to be considered.

Perhaps the most important dynamic would be the interaction between Euiko and Angela. Issues of competition, jealousy, grudging respect and acceptance all needed to be played out. Without any forethought, Kanae stood up from her seat and walked back to where Erika sat alone.

She was so focused on her thoughts that she didn't even notice the sudden, surprised hush throughout the bus as she sat down next to her arch enemy.

* * *

**Notes:** Sorry if this chapter seems dull. It is necessary to all that will follow.

Time is of the essence, and the game is afoot! Chapter 21 will be out soon.

Special note about my rambling about investment. Haven't you ever wondered why so many actors end up trying their hand at directing? It's because they fall in love with the entire process. My sympathies and best regards go out to the family and friends of one actor who also became a singer, a dancer, a director, and a writer: Patrick Swayze, we will miss you.


	21. Confrontation, confession, and catastrop

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 21 – Confrontation, confession, and catastrophe (K -1 and 0)**

The Yarra Mountain Range, along with the entire area comprising Victoria, and specifically Melbourne, is the product of thousands of years of volcanic activity, erosion, and more volcanic activity. The range is a composite of basalt, granite, sandstone and limestone. And on top of this rests the soil that is essentially the byproduct of thousands of years of decomposing plants.

Unlike much of Australia, the rainfall in this mountain range helps the flora of the area to remain green and lush for most of the year. At one time this area sustained a forest so thick that men tended to avoid it in favor of more open areas. But then the lumber-hungry European population settled the area and harvested much of this dense timberland.

The climate was affected by this change; the rainfalls lessened, but did not cease. Nowadays there are periods of very low rainfall interspersed with periods of torrential rainfall. When the mountains were covered with trees, this was not an issue. The lack of trees combined with the abundance of rain resulted in tremendous ecological damage and occasional mudslides. Over time, of course, the foliage grew back and the mountains became beautiful again.

The rain patterns have remained the same. Sometimes there can be too much of a good thing.

* * *

The rain was falling heavily on the bus roof as Kanae took a seat next to Erika. "Erika-san, I was hoping that we could talk about our scenes tomorrow."

Erika was momentarily stunned by Kanae's casual request. Nothing in the last month had gone as she had intended. Always before, at least until the Curara commercial disaster, Erika had been the person on the attack. Over and over again she had sought for and found ways to frustrate Kanae's efforts. Somehow she had expected a similar result when she had cajoled her cousin Andy to get her this job.

But from the very beginning, Kanae had behaved differently. Kanae had almost _demanded_ that Erika be allowed to remain with the project. She had even insisted that the role of Angela be _expanded_ so that Erika could demonstrate her skill as an actress. And when Erika had shown off her talents, hoping to intimidate her raven-haired enemy, Kanae had _applauded_ her and _complimented _her.

And every time Kanae took this approach, it made Erika look and feel worse. Even she couldn't deny that she was making herself look like a vindictive brat every time she tried to defeat her rival. _Everybody_ loved Kanae, and _everybody _despised Erika. She knew this; she was sure of it. She was giving the best performances of her life, but she wasn't enjoying any of it. She was losing, and she didn't know what to do about it.

_Now here comes Kanae again, looking all mature and nice and professional! I hate her! She stole the only thing I ever wanted and she didn't even care!_

"Erika-san?"

"Just go back to your seat, Princess," Erika practically spat the words out. In the quiet bus her words carried clear to the front. Heads turned and looked back. Nobody could actually see the girls' faces through the high-backed seats, but they recognized the voices.

"But, we need to talk…"

"Go!" Erika hissed.

Kanae witnessed an odd and bewildering metamorphosis of facial expressions as Erika glared through tear-filled eyes. "Just go."

At a loss for what else to do, Kanae stood and headed back to her seat.

In the back seat of the bus the tears that flowed down the blond girl's cheeks rivaled the rain that poured against the windows. And she couldn't seem to stop the flow.

Kanae sat back in he seat next to Sophia. The other ladies around her wanted to speak with her, but her cloudy expression discouraged their intentions. Sophia simply laid a warm, gentle hand over Kanae's clenched fists.

* * *

It had taken months of careful study and planning, but it would be his most brilliant masterpiece. Even if he never made a cent for his efforts, it didn't matter. The name of Cameo would be spoken in whispers on dark and stormy nights. Law enforcement agencies throughout the world would study his activities and hope that he would never reappear. Mother's would force their children to obey by promising, "If you're not good, Cameo will sneak in and get you some dark night."

He looked down from the prominence where he stood and surveyed his work. Far below he could see the beautiful rustic hotel where the cast and crew were enjoying their much-needed day of rest. In the distance, coming towards him on a winding road, was the touring bus.

He turned his face up to allow the heavy rainfall to strike his face and pour down his body.

And he smiled.

* * *

Kanae sat in stormy silence on the couch in front of the fireplace. Something about her face discouraged anyone from approaching her. She seemed to be in another world.

But one person did have the courage. Hiou didn't know what could have caused Kanae to go into such a dark study, but he hated to see her so unhappy. He went to the kitchen and surprised the cook with his request for a kettle of hot water. While it was brewing he went to his room and found the little package of tea that his mother, ever the traditionalist, had insisted that he keep with him. It was an expensive, exotic mix, perfectly blended to calm and sooth. It was intended for only the most important meetings.

The water was ready when he returned. He took a borrowed tray, cups, and the tea and went out to where she sat alone. He said nothing; he poured the water in the cups, carefully spooned the correct measure of tea, and stirred. When all was ready, he took one cup and placed it into her limp hand. She didn't respond at first, so he had to take liberties and wrap her hand around the cup.

For the first time Kanae's expression cleared. She looked down at the cup in her hand. She looked at Hiou. And then she raised the cup to her lips and took a sip

* * *

"We're out of time, Sergio. Is everything and everyone in place?"

"Yes, senora; were you able to plant the devices?"

"Yes."

"Then all that we can do is wait."

* * *

"Do you want to talk?" Hiou asked.

Kanae looked over at him and then back down at the cup in her hand. She wasn't even sure how long she had been sitting there; she did know that Hiou had been sitting with her for over thirty minutes.

"I've done everything that Julie told me to do," she said without inflection. Hiou had known Julie off-and-on since early childhood. His family had stayed with the Hizuri's whenever they flew to the United States. He also knew, through casual conversation, that Kanae felt a special bond with Julie.

"I've been kind. I've bitten my tongue. I've complimented her. I've even tried to encourage her. But she'll never warm up to me. This stupid feud will never end."

"What happened today?" Hiou asked soothingly. He sensed that she needed to talk, even though he desperately wanted to hug her to him.

"I just tried to talk with her about tomorrow's scenes. Suddenly she just started crying and she told me to go away."

"It sounds like something must be really bothering her. I've never seen her show any emotion but hatred."

"So what am I supposed to do?"

Hiou thought for a long time while Kanae sipped on her second cup of tea. "I may be totally wrong," he paused before continuing, "but I think that you should go and confront her now. Tell her what you just told me. Tell her that you want this feud over tonight. Weren't you the one who dragged Tsuruga-san over to Kyoko-san's place to finally resolve their issues?"

Kanae looked at the fourteen year old boy as if she were truly seeing him for the first time. "When did you suddenly grow up and get so mature? You're supposed to be a kid, you know?"

Hiou smiled sadly, "I'm in a hurry. Growing up quickly is the only hope I have of reaching the person I care about before she slips away."

Kanae continued to look at him until he spoke again, "didn't you have something that you need to do?"

* * *

Albert Foss was at a loss for what to do when Kanae walked up to him. He had stationed himself outside of Erika's hotel room door so that nobody would disturb her. She had come back to the hotel distraught and tearful. Normally, when Erika was upset about something, the whole world heard about it. But tonight she had not, and would not say a word. She was inside now, crying her eyes out and he couldn't do anything about it.

Now here stood Kotonami Kanae, most-likely the last person in the world who Erika would want to see. He was at a loss for what to do.

"Mr. Foss… Albert-san… I really want to talk to her."

"She's… indisposed right now, Ms. Kotonami."

"I know, Albert-san. I had something to do with that, although I'm not really sure how. Please let me speak with her."

Albert looked at her for a long time before he finally reached down and turned the door knob.

Erika was sprawled across her bed when Kanae entered, "Erika-san?"

Erika turned tear-stained, puffy eyes to look at the intruder. "What do you want? Go away!"

Kanae sat on the edge of the bed, "No, Erika. Not until we resolve this."

"There's nothing to resolve. And how dare you address me like that as if you're my friend."

"I really don't know what we are to each other, Erika. But I do not that this feud can't continue like this forever. Haven't we wasted enough time on this meaningless struggle?"

"Meaningless!" Erika screamed as she pushed back off of the bed, stood, and pointed an accusing finger at the other girl, "That's just it! You stole the most precious thing from me and you didn't even care!"

Kanae looked confused, "Erika-san, we were in elementary school. It was just one play. Or are you talking about the Curara commercial?"

"No!" Erika stomped one foot on the floor, "That play was important to me! It was the _only_ performance my father _ever_ attended. And who did he compliment? You! And you didn't even care!"

"What are you talking about?! I never even met your father!"

"Yes you did! He came up to the stage. He didn't even look at me! But he told you that you were 'allready a promising actress'."

"Erika-san, I didn't know. I was painfully shy around adults. The teacher told me I had to stand there and shake hands, but I was more terrified than when I was on the stage. I'm sorry if I made things hard between you and your dad."

"Oh, would you stop being so _sweet?!_ Here I am on the same set as you; you have the perfect opportunity to attack me and you act like you _want_ me to be here! You're such a hypocrite!"

"Erika-san, I do want you here. At first I just wanted you around where I could keep an eye on you. But then I saw how good of an actress you really are and I decided that you're going to help make this movie a hit."

"You're lying! Nobody wants her _rival_ to succeed!"

"You're wrong, Erika-san. Two and a half years ago I would have agreed with you. But Kyoko-chan showed me that you can be a fierce rival and a best friend at the same time. Even when I'm winning she still keeps cheering for me. And guess what? I can cheer for her too… just like I'm cheering for you."

Erika was about to speak when a single person clapping arrested both ladies' attentions. "A very touching scene, ladies."

"How dare you come in here without…"

Before Erika could finish her sentence a cloud of vaporous gas reached both girls and they collapsed where they stood.

*** * ***

As a small pick-up truck drove out of the parking lot the driver pushed a button on a small transmitter. Several dull "thumps" could be heard high overhead. For a few seconds nothing happened. But then it seemed like the entire mountainside behind the hotel was moving.

Hiou, who had been waiting for Kanae to return, looked around him and wondered what was making that deep, rumbling sound.

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** With the exception of a very few faithful reviewers, nobody else is writing back. Please, please, please let me know what you think so far.


	22. Mudslide

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 22 – Mudslide**

There are three basic contributors that can lead to a mudslide: composition, slope, and soil density.

A hill or mountain is composed of many different materials. At the lowest level is solid rock, usually granite; granite is almost always solid and immovable. Above this there may be any combination of materials such as sandstone, limestone, and clay; the stability of these materials is subject to the amount of moisture present. On top of everything else is soil. Soil is usually a rich, fertile mixture of dirt and decomposed organic material. It sits loosely on top of the lower layers.

The stability of the upper two layers is naturally affected by the degree of slope. Gravity is king, and it exerts non-stop pressure on a hillside. Under reasonably normal conditions, this has little effect on a hillside that has stood as is for hundreds of years. But under the wrong conditions the pressure of gravity and the degree of slope cannot be disregarded.

Soil, being loosely packed, acts as a sponge to rainfall. The water is absorbed in tremendous amounts and held in reserve until thirsty plant roots call for it. The excess water runs downhill in rivulets that form runlets, the runlets feed streams, and the streams feed rivers. When there is too much rain the loose topsoil becomes waterlogged and heavy and neither vegetation nor run-off can compensate. The middle sediment layers become slick and lose their cohesiveness.

And there it all sits: wet heavy soil and slick, unstable sediment; all of it waiting for the smallest catalyst to dislodge the mass from its solid granite base.

Cameo had decided that _he _would be the catalyst on that fateful night. Remote-control charges were buried along the ridge-line in order to cause a sudden mass-movement that would result an unstoppable wall of mud and rock. As his pickup drove away on the rain-soaked, curvy road, he reached out and touched the button of the remote taped to the dash board. He heard the dull, satisfying "thump, thump, thump" of buried charges exploding and smiled.

He wanted to stop the truck, get out, and watch his handiwork in motion; but he thought better of it. His night was just beginning and his two young victims would not sleep forever.

Hiou was born and raised in Tokyo. Although hills and low mountains surrounded his home, he had never encountered a mudslide nor given it much more than a passing thought. He did not recognize the rumbling for what it was.

The proprietors and staff of the resort, on the other hand, had given mudslides a lot of thought. There had been a mudslide somewhere in the Yarra Range every year for the past four. Most of these were minor occurrences, but several had resulted in the loss of lives. At one time or another each person who lived and worked in this small, beautiful resort area had looked at the hill above with concern. They heard the rumbling and rapidly reached the only possible conclusion. _Mudslide!_

Of course, knowing and being able to take any constructive action were two different things. They immediately started assessing the situation and herding the people in the lobby and dining room towards the exits. Not that this would save them; but action seemed to be called for and they tried to respond.

Hiou heard the workers and quickly understood. He sprinted through the mulling people, up the stairs toward the room where he knew Kanae would be. When he arrived he found the door locked. One desperate kick broke the latch and he ran in. On the floor was the unconscious body of Albert Foss. Neither girl was there.

Sophia and another man sprinted into the room a moment later. She met Hiou's eyes, saw Foss, and lifted a small device attached to her wrist to her mouth. "They're gone. Get everyone to safety, now!"

It is 2.5 kilometers from the top of the ridge where Cameo set his charges to the base of the slope, where the resort was built. The charges caused a subterranean shock-wave that loosened the last vestiges of stability in the limestone layer that sat under twelve feet of rock and soil. A half-kilometer long swath of ridgeline slowly began to move.

Even though it was only moving inches at a time, the combined weight pressed against the lower slope. This continued as the soil, rock, and sediment folded like an accordion and continued to press downward. As the soil met resistance it rolled over the lower part of the slope that was temporarily stable. This slumping action continued and magnified until thousands of tons began to move rapidly down the mountainside.

The casual observer, if there were such a person, would have noted two things: 1) The moving mass acted more like water than soil, and 2) the mass grew in width as well as depth, spreading out over an ever-wider area.

Hiou started to run toward Kanae's room when Sophia's hand stopped him, "She's not here, Hiou! I'll explain later. We have to get out of the path!"

Hiou, frantic and desperately confused, found something in the older woman's eyes that gave him stability. He nodded and let her lead him down the hall.

It wouldn't have made much difference. From start to finish the mudslide lasted for 12.65 minutes.

The mudslide, now almost a kilometer wide, was acting like water. Like water, the mud was taking the paths of least resistance. For the first downhill kilometer there was no resistance; the slide consumed everything in its path. But as the slope became less steep the small hills and knolls and rock formations began to channel the mud into several smaller slides.

The slide encountered civilization for the first time when it rolled effortlessly over a small picnic ground and park. Next it demolished the machine-shop and truck depot owned by the national park. The largest metal building contained heavy earth-moving equipment. These machines did not stop the flow, but they did pile up further down the hill and form an impromptu barrier wall that once-again channeled the flow heading towards the resort.

It was a miniature golf course that was the final salvation of the resort and its residents. The proprietor's children, now grown and gone, had begged their father for years to build a miniature golf course on the hillside above the resort. When he finally relented he attacked the project with the same gusto that had allowed him to fashion the stunningly beautiful resort. Rather than just place the golf course on the hill, he decided to sculpt the hill so that every single hole would also offer a breathtaking view of the mountains above and the valley below. Eventually the finished project looked like a hook that bent away from the main building and curved off to the side. Now that curve directed the majority of the flow past the building, into the parking lot beyond, and down into the uninhabited ravine below.

The proprietor's home was destroyed, but he and his wife had been sitting at the resort. The park ranger's home and office disappeared off of its foundation, but he was away at a conference. Several vacation homes were devastated, but they too were empty. Only two people lost their lives. One man and one woman had been the quickest to react. Both had made it to their cars and were heading out of the parking lot when the flow passed the resort and swept the parking lot down into the ravine below.

The proprietors, the staff, the other visitors, and the cast and crew, all in different states of dress or undress, stood there in stunned disbelief. The indescribable sound of the mudslide, the site of the massive wall of mud and debris, and the realization of their own helplessness had left them in shock. And then people, men and women, young and old alike, started to moan, cry and even wail.

But several people were able to keep their wits. Renate Analise DeGarmo (a.k.a. Sophia) started using her walkie-talkie to take roll and find out if any of her people were missing. Two were: they were the ones who had been keeping watch on Erika's room from outside.

Hiou had also regained his wits as he began to frantically survey the crowd for Kanae. He spotted Sophia and ran over too her. Before he could speak she held up a preemptory hand. "I want every helicopter you can get into the air heading in this direction, Sergio. Cameo's little attack didn't work, but its not safe for these people to stay here. Notify emergency services. Make sure that they know that the roads on both sides of us are impassable. Keep me updated every 10."

She closed her cell phone and turned to Hiou, "Hiou, I'm going to need you to be as mature as you've been pretending to be for Kanae's sake. Get the director and everyone else who is directly involved all assembled in one place. I only want to explain what is happening one time."

Her firm tone of command got through his desperation. He nodded and walked towards the crowd, grateful for something to do.

Renate grabbed the arm of the proprietor and his wife, "Mr. Lewis, I want you to go with Scott here and check the electricity and gas. If we have a gas leak anywhere we may need to move everybody. Do it quickly and try not to cause any more panic. Some of these people are already hanging on by a thread.

"Mrs. Lewis, I need you to find your cooking staff and go to your pantry. People will settle down if they can have a little something to eat. Cold food only; don't try to turn on anything and stay away from the cooking area. Once you get them started, get the rest of your staff to start rounding up any blankets you can find. The rain may start again at any moment, and people in shock are already susceptible to cold."

Detective Sergeant Meers planted himself firmly in front of her. "You should have warned them, DeGarmo. Now Cameo has them and we may never find them again. And you're incompetence has probably cost me two good men."

Renate looked up at the big, bulldog-like man, "Michael, we've been over this before. It wouldn't have made any difference at all if we had told them. As for the two men, they knew the importance of caution and Cameo still got the better of them. Don't start playing the blame-game now. What we need to do is stay calm and get ready to jump on Cameo when he makes a mistake."

Mike Meers regarded her suspiciously, "There's something that you're not telling me."

"Yes, there is. If I could tell you, I would, but for now I can't say anything but this: Cameo just made his first big mistake. We'll find him now, wherever he takes the girls."

Renate's phone rang, "Talk to me."

"Rescue is on its way in-force. Their sending medics, Red-Cross, and emergency supplies as well."

"Ok, good. I'm afraid that the rain will start up again at any moment."

"When do we activate Alice?"

"Not yet, Sergio. Give him time to get comfortable."

"You know, Renate, he intended to kill everyone there. That's a big change in his modus operandi. If he's willing to kill everyone there, he'll be willing to kill the girls."

"I know, Serge; I know."

The assembled group sat in stunned disbelief after Renate finished her explanation. To people who made a living telling stories through film, this story seemed too far-fetched to believe.

It was Hiou who spoke first, or rather, he hissed, "You _knew_ that they were in danger, and you _didn't tell them_?"

Renate had really come to like the talented young teenager, and she knew how much he cared about Kotonami Kanae. "Yes, Hiou, I knew," she raised a hand to still him as he made to speak. "This is his fourth kidnapping that we know of. In two of these kidnappings we warned the victims and it only made everything worse. This time we decided to pull out all of the stops and use something that had never been used before. I can't tell you anything more for now… you'll just have to trust me."

Hiou didn't want to trust her or anybody else. But something in her manner told him that she knew what she was doing.

Somebody else asked, "What makes you so sure that this man _caused_ the mudslide?"

"One of our men saw the charges go off. There were six charges, all evenly spaced across the ridge"

"That's really sick! Who could do something like that?"

Renate didn't answer. She hadn't told any of them the true identity of Cameo. She felt sad that she had needed to order one of her men to put Matsuda-san into confinement. There had been two clear suspects, Albert Foss and Richard Andrews. Both men had big gaps in their past. Both men fit the description of Cameo. And both men had managed to find ways to stay close to both young ladies. Foss was currently under treatment for a head injury. He had regained consciousness long enough to identify Andrews as his attacker. Renate wanted to believe that Matsuda-san was innocent, but women had done foolish things for love before. Of course, he had tried to kill the poor lady along with everyone else.

Renate left the group to find a few moments alone and think about the little details. Her boss was already notifying Erika's father. She needed to decide who would go with them in the agency chopper. She would need to phone John Murphy in the U.S. soon and activate Alice.

But first she needed to wait just long enough to let Cameo believe he had won.

* * *

**Notes:** Don't hate me… Yes, I'm going to leave you hanging for a little while longer. The story of Kanae and Erika's adventure deserves its own chapter(s), and I want to write it (them) well.


	23. Alice

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 23 – Alice**

It began, as many stories do, with a great tragedy.

Neil Wright (no relation to the brothers) was a micro-engineering genius. He earned his first doctorate in electrical engineering at the tender age of fifteen. He earned his second, on a whim, from Stanford at nineteen. He met the woman of his dreams, Alice Elizabeth Carter, on the day he turned twenty-one. By twenty-two years of age Neil Grant was married, working on six different "dream" projects, and he was a multi-millionaire.

No entity in the world is as quick to adopt new technology, or as replete with development money, as the military. Four out of the six projects that Neil was working on were for the military and were classified far above top-secret. One idea in particular, a heat-signature identifier that could locate a specific person from space, had everyone buzzing. Unfortunately, there was too much buzzing; the word leaked out to the wrong people and those people were willing to do anything to get their hands on the technology.

One evening Neil Wright came home from a fruitful day at the lab and found his beloved Alice gone. An hour later he received the first phone call, "Give us 'Spotlight,' or you'll never see your wife again." Of course they didn't know that Spotlight had been mostly unsuccessful at this point in the project.

Neil and Alice were loyal Americans. He contacted his superior immediately. Within an hour several of the most effective police agencies in the world were on the case. Within two days they had caught the three-man group who had taken his wife. Alice's body was never found.

Neil was not the type of person to crawl into a bottle and sink into despair. Instead he became obsessed with finding some way to tag and track a single person anywhere in the world. His doctoral dissertation for Stanford had been entitled, "Practical applications in technology for radically diminishing isotopes." He had asserted that these volatile isotopes gave off a definite and traceable radiation signature that could be tracked from great distances with the right equipment. More importantly, because these diminishing isotopes degenerated steadily in an exact pattern, the changing signature made the isotopes clearly identifiable.

The most important feature of these radically diminishing isotopes was this: although they generated a form of radiation, it was a type not harmful to organic life.

Working feverishly, Neil Wright completed his project, named "Alice," in only two years. He did not expect the reaction that he got; instead of being overjoyed by this new technology, most people were horrified. Not only was the idea of attaching a radioactive isotope to a human body atrocious to them, but the entire idea of being able to track a person without their knowledge smacked of "Big Brother" to them.

The wheels of government turned and the project disappeared into the black hole of obscurity; or so most people thought. In fact, the project, code named "Alice," had actually been used twice: once by the CIA, and once by the FBI.

So why would a U.S. agency allow such super-secret technology be made available to an international agency in order to track a seemingly insignificant kidnapper? The answer was simple: Notoriety and possibility. A CIA deep-cover operative had overheard a certain terrorist leader talking about Cameo's last caper. He was debating the possibilities of recruiting the man to work for his organization. The operative had never heard of Cameo, but he forwarded the details of the conversation in his next dispatch. The alarm-bells were sounding and a decision was made: If Cameo struck again, they would use any and all means necessary to stop him cold.

Four hours after Cameo drove away from the Yarra Range resort, Alice was triggered. Sky God IV, a military satellite assigned to track the southern hemisphere, sent a broad-spectrum signal in a wide sweep as it passed the continent of Australia. The signal was a simple activation signal that hit the tiny passive receiver attached to the isotope-laden material. The receiver recognized the signal and responded appropriately. It generated a single electromagnetic pulse, and shut down permanently. The pulse of negative ions triggered the isotopes. The isotopes began degenerating.

The electro-chemical process of degeneration generated a clear, traceable signature. It didn't even affect Richard's Hi-Fi radio as he listened in frustration to the Alert News Report about the mudslide. "Well," he said out loud, "I guess Renate gets to live another day."

He had known who Kotonami Kanae's new manager was as soon as she arrived. Even though he had never seen the lady personally, a woman as attractive as Renate DeGarmo was bound to end up in news photographs. He had found those pictures and studied them long before ever planning this latest caper. Even though she changed her hair and her name, she couldn't change her sculpted cheekbones or her arching eyebrows.

_Oh well; at least now you get to live with the fact that you've lost again. Sorry lady, you'll never be a match for me._

* * *

"We've got them!" The NSA technician announced with pleasure. The equipment, a standard computer transceiver, was classified by association with the project. Only he and five other operators were qualified to work on this project. This was his first time to actually use Alice for a live-test.

"Can you plot a track on the big-screen?" Sergio asked. The big-screen displayed a map of Australia and the surrounding islands. A red pulsing signal appeared near the middle of the screen. "Ok, let's zoom in. He's north of the Yarra Range."

Sergio looked into the web-cam on his laptop, "Are you getting the feed, Renate?"

"Got it." Sergio saw her look off to the side, "Colonel?"

He heard a disconnected voice reply, "We're good, Ma'am. Our AWACS is tracking a pickup truck heading north. Just let me know how you want to play this."

"Let him alone for now. He probably has the girls wired. We need to let him go to ground and then isolate him."

"Roger, Ma'am. You're the boss."

* * *

Two more hours spent driving down muddy, straight , flat and uninteresting roads finally ended at a non-descript old farm in the middle of nowhere. Richard carried the girls, one-by-one into the house and down to the basement he had fitted for their confinement. Once he was finished he looked at his watch; it was 6:12 am. _Time to send the first ransom demand to Kouenji Kentaru._

He smiled to himself. He didn't need the money anymore. Three successful kidnappings and his own clever investments had made him into a multi-millionaire. It was the cat-and-mouse game that he loved now. He had always known that he was brilliant. Now he was matching wits with the best law-enforcement minds in the world, and they couldn't even touch him.

He had intended to target Uesugi Hiou when he first started looking for a new victim. It had been so easy to hook up with Matsuda Sumi. She was immediately attracted to him and she was so very easy to manipulate. It wasn't that the Uesugi's were incredibly wealthy, though they were well-off. It was fame that Cameo sought.

And kidnapping the cute, young progeny of the famous martial arts family was destined to become a press bomb. But then the damnable little punk kept growing. His cuteness was fading to be replaced with more manly features. Older teen boys just didn't generate the type of media hype that kidnapping a young, cute boy celebrity would have; that is why he had always found females for victims. People always seemed to take female abductions more personally. So he had sat back and waited for a more promising victim.

It was _Runaway Royalty _that finally provided him with his next target. His fiancé had taken a break to plan her wedding, but he had persuaded her to yield to Hiou's mother and resume her duties in Australia. One of the things that had been discussed was the sudden inclusion of Kouenji Erika in the movie cast. He spent an evening reading everything that he could find on the beautiful blond and made his decision.

Who could have ever guessed that the other young lady on the set, Kotonami Kanae, would become so famous while they were filming? He almost switched targets when he heard the news about her award. But then he watched the two young ladies battle each other and thought of a better idea: _Why not lock them both in the same room and let them kill each other. That way I won't be bored while I wait for the ransom._

Not that it really mattered what the two girls did. This time he had let his victims see his face. He had even let others know what he looked like. He had _intended_ that the rest of the people would be dead under tons of mud and rock by this time. Having failed that, he didn't intend to allow the two young ladies to further expose him. They were never going to leave the basement of this house alive.

* * *

Kanae woke first. The drug that had knocked her out was long-gone. The effects of it, and the discomfort of six hours spent riding in the back of a pickup truck tied hand and foot, lingered. As her disoriented mind slowly came into focus, she started to look around her. She was in a poorly lit room with cinder-block walls and a concrete floor. The ceiling was a pattern of rafters, pipes, and wires. _I'm in a basement._

She turned her head and body over and saw a second bed with a female body turned away. _Blond hair._ The events of the day before slowly started to return to her. _Erika? _Slowly moving limbs that were stiff from disuse, she made herself sit up. She tried to rise, but felt weak and dizzy, so she sat back down.

_We were arguing in her room. Then somebody was clapping… Richard Andrews! He was wearing something on his face and he started spraying something at us…_ Kanae rubbed her temples where she still felt the lingering effects of a drug-induced headache. Then she forced herself up and moved the three feet over to Erika's bed.

Erika didn't look good. Her face was pale and her breathing shallow. Kanae shook her gently, then more firmly. She scanned the bare room for some sign of a rag, or water. There was nothing. Her concern gave her strength. She stood again, paced the room, and finally looked up at the ceiling. There, in each corner of the ceiling was a camera. She walked up to the one closest to the door, "Hey! Hey! Richard Andrews, I don't know what you're up to, but if you don't get me something for Erika, you're going to lose her. You gave her too much of whatever that stuff was, you bastard! Hey!"

"I heard you, Kanae. Now shut up. I'll bring you something soon."

Kanae glared at the camera, but inside she felt frightened. Now that she had gained his attention she wasn't sure that she wanted it. Her mind was wide awake and she was truly beginning to realize the dangerous situation that she and Erika were in. She heard footsteps, like those of a heavy man descending stairs. Then Richard's commanding voice blared out, "Step over to the other side of the room. Try anything stupid and I'll shoot you dead."

Kanae didn't see any other alternative. She moved back to the two beds. As the door clicked, she placed herself squarely in front of Erika's bed.

Richard stepped in. He was no longer blond, his hair was dyed as black as her own. He was also unshaven. But other than these two things it was clearly the same old conceited Richard. He stepped in and closed the door. He looked with amusement at where she was standing.

"Don't come near her. I don't know what your game is, but you leave her alone."

Richard raised a mocking eyebrow. "Well now, aren't you just the little hero. Don't worry Kanae, I need her alive to collect my ransom from her father."

Kanae was herself enough now to be annoyed at his repeated use of her first name. Intuition told her that he was deliberately doing it to discomfit her, so she held back her biting comment. "Then why did you need me? Nevermind, just put down the towels and water. Erika doesn't look good."

Richard took two threatening steps forward, causing her to step back unintentionally. He sneered at he reaction, "Don't worry, Kanae. I'm not going to do anything to you… yet. As long as you're cooperative, you'll make it out of here alive and unharmed." He knelt down, keeping his eyes on her, and set a tray on the floor. Then he turned and walked to the door as if he wasn't worried about her at all.

Once at the door, he turned, "Good. You're smart enough to know not to attack me. Your measly three months of training is nothing against me, little one. And I'd hate to damage one of Japan's most beautiful women." He passed his hand over the box at the door, there was a beep, and the handle-less door clicked slightly open. "Take care of your _friend_."

Kanae waited until the door closed again to move to the tray. She ignored the food and grabbed the towel and water pitcher. She moved over to Erika's bed, wetted the cloth, and began to wipe the girl's brow and face. After doing this for a bit she set the damp cloth on the nightstand and began to rub Erika's wrists and ankles. She saw the rope abrasions there and then noticed her own for the first time.

Her stomach rumbled and she took a short break to move the tray over onto her bed. There was a plate of sandwiches with some odd-looking, foul-smelling spread and some old-looking baby carrots. She munched on carrots until her hunger got the better of her and she bit into a sandwich quarter. Her face contorted instantly in disgust, but she schooled her expression as quickly as she could. She was sure that Richard was watching, and she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. She kept her face stoic as she completed the quarter and set the food aside.

She poured herself a glass of water, drank it, and decided to try to give some to Erika. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't keep the water in the sleeping girl's mouth long enough to make her swallow. Instead it ran out of Erika's mouth and soaked her pillow. In frustration and disgust Kanae set the glass aside and pulled the damp pillow out from under Erika's head. She stood there, one hand supporting the blonde's head, wondering what to do next. Finally she slid herself up against the headboard and let Erika's head rest on her lap. She reached over, took the damp rag again and began wiping Erika's brow.

Slowly she became aware of the fuzziness creeping in at the edges of her thoughts. _He drugged the food! That bast…_

* * *

"Ma'am, Mr. Kouenji's on the line. He just received the first ransom demand. He's asking for fifty-million."

Renate shook her head. _He's playing a game. He knows Kouenji can't come up with that._ "Tell him that we are working on the case, but we can't tell him anything more at this time. "

"Can't we at least tell him that we know where they are?"

"Absolutely not; If Cameo calls and talks to Kouenji, I don't want him to accidentally let anything slip out. We want Cameo to feel fat, safe, and happy."

* * *

Erika's waking experience was much like Kanae's. The only difference was when she realized that the warm pillow under her head was actually the lap of her erstwhile enemy. Kanae sat there asleep, her head lolling and her hand still holding the damp rag.

Erika sat up and surveyed the room. Her mind quickly interpreted her situation and provided the only answer: _We've been kidnapped_. She felt surprisingly calm. For the children of extremely wealthy parents, kidnapping is always a very real danger. Responsible parents not only make every effort to protect their children, but they also make their children aware of the danger.

She looked back over at Kanae. The beautiful, raven-haired girl looked uncomfortable in the position she was in. With a tenderness few had ever seen, she gently eased the girl down until she was lying across the bed. She looked for her pillow to prop under Kanae's head, reached for it and found it still wet. _That's why she was holding my head on her lap. Why would she do that?_ She stood, walked around, and grabbed the pillow off of the other bed.

Once Kanae's head was resting comfortably, Erika stood up and made a walking survey of the room. Her own house was replete with security cameras, so she was quicker to spot them then Kanae had been. She had remembered Richard Andrews' uninvited presence in her room; she knew who her captive was. But she didn't want to think about that yet. Like Kanae, she was used to men looking at her. And Richard Andrews' looks had been the kind she hated the most.

She spotted the tray of food and went to it. She lifted a quarter of a sandwich up and peeled the top slice of bread back. _Vegamite. That sick bastard. _She tossed the atrocity down onto the tray and popped a carrot stick in her mouth. Then she poured the empty glass full of water and started to lift it to her mouth.

"_Don't…"_ A voice said faintly.

Startled, Erika looked over at the figure on the bed. Kanae's eyes were dull, but they were open and looking at her. "_Drugged…"_

Erika looked down at the glass and set it promptly back on the tray. She knelt beside the bed where Kanae lay, "Are you all right?"

Kanae's answer was still soft and strained, "_Yes… Richard Andrews…"_

I know, Kanae-san. You just close your eyes until you feel better. Then we'll figure out how to deal with Andrews.

The man in question sat back in his chair as he watched the scene play out on the television screen. He had been counting on more hatred and fireworks between the two girls. They were supposed to hate each other. Instead they were acting like old friends! How boring!

Well then, he knew a way to stir things up a bit. He smiled as he stood and headed toward the basement.

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** Once again, I will leave it to you to decide if the technology is plausible. Other than that, I hope that you are enjoying the story.


	24. Turnabout

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 24 – Turnabout**

Renate looked at the ranch house through a high-powered telescope. Cameo had certainly chosen an ideal spot for hiding out. A person could easily drive by the nondescript ranch house set off from the road and never even know that it was there. On top of that, the terrain around the house was so flat that anyone approaching would be visible for a kilometer.

Of course, the same would be true for him if he tried to leave. But Cameo almost certainly didn't expect anyone to find him, and he wouldn't be leaving with the girls when he did leave. If his recent actions were any indication, he wasn't planning on leaving the girls alive. That meant that they needed to get in and take him down before he could harm the girls.

She sighed and handed the sniper rifle back to the Australian Federal Policeman. He was one of over twenty who were positioned in a circular pattern around the house. The officer was polite, but distant. Renate knew that the Aussie Feds were unhappy with her. She had argued for, and won the decision to have the Anti-Terrorist branch of the Australian Special Air Service be the ones who would "take the door."

Her reasoning was simple and irrefutable: even if they crawled on their bellies, there was no way that the Feds could get close enough to the house to surprise Cameo. He would use at least one of the girls as a human shield, and that would probably result in at least one of the girls being injured or dying. The only viable solution was the SASR. As luck would have it, TAG, the Tactical Assault Group was in the area conducting house-to-house interdiction training at a mock-up town set aside for that purpose. Using the same terrorist argument that had moved the FBI to share Alice, Renate was able to enlist TAG for this operation.

While the higher-ups in the Australian Federal Police accepted her arguments as logical, it was a blow to the pride of the officers on the ground. They were also a very well-trained, highly capable group with a long list of successful operations. But the decision was made. Even now a C-130 Hercules was getting ready to go wheels-up with a jump team. All that was required was Renate's go-ahead signal.

* * *

Kanae heard a door opening above and then Richard walking unhurriedly down the stairs. She counted the steps carefully, making note of the number of seconds that passed before he reached the bottom.

"Step over to the other side of the room, please, ladies," Richard's arrogant voice instructed.

For now there was really no value in antagonizing the man; they did as instructed. The door clicked and Richard stepped into the room. "Have a seat together on that bed." His hand, pointing the revolver in his hand, indicated Erika's bed. Once again, they did as instructed.

"We need real food and either bottled water or some other sealed liquid," Erika demanded haughtily. "I'm not going to let you drug me again."

Richard might have taken offense at her attitude, but he had other ways of breaking her spirit, "Very well. I'll get you something as soon as we talk."

Both young ladies looked at him suspiciously. "What can you possibly have to say to us?" Kanae demanded. "I know that you grabbed Erika because her father is rich, but why both of us?"

He smiled, "Well, first of all, I had hoped to watch you kill each-other. You've really disappointed me. But I'm also doing this for notoriety. A princess like Erika here will generate _some_ level of interest. But people almost expect rich kids to be kidnapped; its passé. But one of 'Japan's most beautiful women'; now _that_ will draw attention."

Richard smiled, "Now, as far as what I wanted to talk to you about. I decided to wait until you were fully recovered before I broke the news to you. You see, after I… um… collected you," he grinned maliciously, "I set off a charge at the top of the ridge behind the resort."

He watched as the girl's processed the import of his words. At about the same moment both of their faces registered horror. "That's right. The resort is currently buried under a hundred tons of mud and rock. So if you're imagining that your 'boyfriends' are going to come to your rescue, you can forget it."

Kanae felt the same cold, empty feeling that she had known when she had followed Ren up the cliff-side and found Kyoko's crumpled body. She felt numb and momentarily untethered; and then the rage began. She surged forward to attack Richard, but Erika seized her around the waist, even as the big, grinning man pointed his pistol at her forehead. "You bastard! I'll kill you! Do you even care how many people you killed?"

"Oh, the news reports say around two-hundred, two-fifty. Of course little Hiou was crushed with the rest. I never much liked the little punk anyway," he said casually, purposely stoking her rage. He focused on Erika, who was still wrapped tightly around the raven-haired girl, "I'm sure that your boyfriend is dead too. Not that he was much use as a bodyguard. I didn't even get a decent struggle out of the man. (He didn't tell them that he had pretended to be drunk, stumbling by Foss until he was close enough to strike).

Erika looked crestfallen, but she angrily retorted, "He wasn't my boyfriend, you idiot. He was my servant. But he was a good man."

Richard sneered, "You may not have cared about him, but he was in love with you. Ask Kanae."

Somehow Kanae had regained enough self-control to follow the conversation. Her analytical mind had caught something else as well. But for the moment she just met Erika's eyes and nodded. "He never said as much, but it was pretty obvious."

Something in Erika, something she hadn't even been aware existed, suddenly felt a terrible sense of loss. Albert Foss had been different. Unlike all of the other sycophants that she had surrounded herself with, he had been a real man. He had even dared to argue with her about her own safety. He had made her feel safe and she had found herself strangely drawn to him. "Why? Why would you do something like that? Wasn't Matsuda-san there too?"

Richard brushed that off as he moved towards the door, "Oh, she was just a tool to be used and discarded. I had no further use for her." He bowed as if his behaviors were perfectly normal, "I'll go see about your lunch, ladies."

Kanae, coldly logical now, watched until the door clicked shut behind him and she heard his foot on the first step. Erika was still holding her, albeit limply. She turned to whisper rapidly.

_One…_ "Listen, he's lying…" _two… _"There were less… _three…_ than 100 people there… _four…_ that night… _five…_ We have to make a plan... _six… _He can't monitor us… _seven…_ from the stairs… _eight…_ he wants us to fight… _nine_… give him what he wants… _ten… _wait for him to start back… _eleven… _Kanae held up a hand to stop conversation. _Twelve._ She quickly flashed ten fingers, then two. Erika nodded.

Kanae stepped away from the bed, winked towards Erika, "It's all your fault, you stupid, spoiled brat. If you had just stayed where you belonged then everybody would be alive right now!"

Erika's face became a mask of rage, "Me! If you hadn't strutted around flashing your long hair and flirting with that loser, he would have just focused on me and my father could have paid the ransom. Now two-hundred and fifty people are dead because you just had to be 'Miss beautiful!' God, I hate you."

Kanae winked, "When he brings that food down here, I'm going to stuff it down your spoiled little throat."

"I'd like to see you try!"

As Kanae had predicted, Richard was watching the conflict with gleeful interest. He was, in fact, a genius. But his was the twisted sort of mind that delighted in conflict, fear, and pain. He barely even paid attention to the granola bars and cans of pop that he was putting on the plate. Here was what his bored mind was hoping for: front row seats to a catfight.

Not wanting to seem overly eager, he kept his pace sedate as he picked up the tray to head back down the stairs.

* * *

The C-130 Hercules was in the air. The pilot had taken the bulky airplane up to an altitude of 7200m (23622 ft.) so that the sound of the plane's engines would not be heard. HALO, short for high-altitude-low opening, was the ideal parachute insertion method when the jumper needed to make a silent drop into enemy-held territory. The five men who were preparing to jump would plummet rapidly towards the earth until they reached approximately 900m (2953ft), at which point they would open their square parachutes. They were all trained experts who could land themselves within a 3m square in most weather conditions.

In this case, they were also all men. One man in particular, twenty year-old Corporal Ned Lasiter, was doubly excited by this mission. First, it would be his first jump into a "live" situation. Second, he had seen the news coverage and the photos about the movie filming; they were about to rescue two stone foxes.

Ned was not what anyone would describe as a modest man. He was dashingly handsome, and he was well aware of it. Now, as he waited for the go-ahead to jump, he had visions of rescuing the two damsels-in-distress and becoming their handsome hero. _Yes, I know that its corny, but poor Ned was still young and slightly delusional._

Lieutenant Lawson had included himself in this mission because it sounded challenging; or so he said. Of course, the fact that the two kidnap victims were drop-dead gorgeous had nothing to do with it; nor did the fact that a successful rescue wouldn't hurt his promotion opportunities. _You believe me, right?_

Sergeant Noel, on the other hand, was an older and seasoned veteran. He _had _been young enough once to know what was probably going through the younger men's minds. But he was also all-business when it came to a mission. That is probably why he was the jump-master for this little team. "Look sharp and check your gear. We're on in ten minutes, mates."

* * *

Kanae and Erika both heard the upper-door open. Kanae quickly flashed ten and two fingers again. They stayed on opposite sides of one bed as they heard him descending and counted silently. Kanae mouthed the word _Improv_ to Erika nodded.

"He's coming! Now we'll see who feeds what to whom."

"Bring it on, you blonde bimbo!"

"Now, now, girls," Richard's mocking voice came over the intercom, "I can hear you from outside the door. Why don' you just step back and wait for me to come in." They complied, watching warily as he opened the door and stepped in.

Erika eyed the tray disdainfully, "Granola bars?! Don't you have anything messier? I'm going to shove some food down Miss Talento's throat!"

Richard looked down at the tray. He felt disappointed with himself that he hadn't thought of that. His distraction caused him to forget his usual caution; he stepped forward and extended the tray, "Well, if both of you are alive at dinner, I'll bring something better."

The girls seemed to ignore him and glare at each other as they each grabbed a granola bar and a can of soda. Kanae looked at the can in her hand and she suddenly had an idea.

"Ha! Look, soda; just like in the Curara commercial where Kyoko and I beat you."

Erika didn't have to pretend to scowl as she glared back at the raven-haired girl, "So what? It was just a fluke. You should never have won; it was your partner who won the day."

Kanae continued to glare, but she used one finger of the hand holding her unopened drink, the hand facing away from their captor, to tap the can as she replied, "Of course she won!" She glanced quickly down at her hand holding the pop, "As if _you_ could have ever thought of a trick like that!"

Erika was almost lost in the moment, remembering her painful defeat, when her sharp mind suddenly seized on Kanae's words, "Of course I could have," she sniffed disdainfully, "as a matter of fact, I'll show _you_ now!"

With that, she suddenly started shaking her unopened drink as fast and hard as she could.

Richard watched in fascination, totally lost in the moment and anticipating whatever the girls would do next.

Kanae transferred the cola to her left hand and clutched the granola bar tightly in her right in order to strengthen her hand. She pretended to be squaring off against Erika as she let her left foot drift slightly towards the large, gawking man. Erika's face was set now as she gripped the can with both hands and aimed it towards her rival.

Then, at the last second, she turned her aim towards Richard and pulled the tab. The pop exploded out of the can and into his alarmed face. The tray fell from his hands as he reached out to shield against the spray. Kanae, remembering her Mobutu Udon Ti lessons, slid her left leg between the man's two legs and moved towards him. Her right fist, strengthened by the hard, square of the bar, came in across her twisting body and straight between the hard sides of his lower jaw, under the chin.

The impact made a wet, smacking sound as his open mouth was suddenly slammed shut with every ounce of power Kanae could generate. His teeth caught his tongue, cutting deep as his head slammed backwards. Kanae's leg between his two scissored back toward her other leg, taking out his base and continuing his momentum. His body, the back of his head foremost, smashed onto the concrete floor.

But Erika was still Erika. She was not content to just spray a little soda on the man. Even as he was having his jaw slammed shut, she was stepping around in a perfect arc to deliver a dancer's kick into his ribs. _Helpful hint: Never, ever let a ballerina kick you. Her legs may look dainty, but she has trained those leg muscles for years. _Even as Richard's body bounced from his first impact with the concrete, there was a sickening sound like the snapping of dry tree limbs as two of his ribs broke in several places.

* * *

"Number one, Go! Number two, Go! Number three, Go! Number four, Go!" Sergeant Noel saw the fourth man disappear, stepped forward, and launched himself down the ramp and out of the back of the big airplane.

The others could be seen heading rapidly down towards the hardened ground of the Australian Outback. He breathed through the oxygen mask, forcing himself to relax as he aimed his body toward the correct dark spot on the ground.

They maintained radio silence, lest the man in the house had managed to get his hands on a military transceiver. One by one, as the ground rushed towards them, they pulled their chutes. The lieutenant was on the ground first; almost before the chute started to lose air he was unclipping and moving forward. Within two minutes all five men were rushing towards the doors; three in front and two in back. Sergeant Moss, the biggest of the three in front, kicked through the door just as Noel took the back door.

Five men rushed in, automatic weapons ready, to find two beautiful, if slightly disheveled ladies sitting at a round dinner table, drinking coffee. Tied to chair behind them was a large man whose unconscious, slumped head was bloody and bruised.

Kanae and Erika turned to regard the lieutenant as he stepped forward.

Kanae raised an eyebrow to Erika, "Well, I guess that late is better than never."

Erika gestured behind her, "There are cups in the cupboard if you would like some coffee."

The two young ladies smiled at each other and clinked their cups together.

* * *

It was another two hours by helicopter before our exhausted young heroines were landed in front of Melbourne City Studios where everyone was waiting for them. As soon as Kanae cleared the propeller's path, Hiou rushed forward and wrapped his arms around her. She was about to protest, but instead she hugged him back just as tightly. He was slightly taller, but her mouth was close enough to his ear for him to hear her words, "Don't make a big deal out of this. This doesn't mean a thing. But I'm glad that you're all right."

Hiou didn't trust himself to speak.

There was no dissembling on Albert Foss's part. His head was wrapped in a tight bandage, but he was perfectly functional and strong enough to seize the blond in a tight embrace and lift her off of the ground. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

And Erika hugged the man back, "Just don't let it ever happen again." And she returned his hug.

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** Wow! That was a long chapter.

We must move on now. So much time and so little to do… Scratch that, reverse it.


	25. To the four winds

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 25 – To the four winds**

"Ah-hmmm," Renate cleared her throat purposefully. The helicopter's rotors had come to a complete stop, making the setting seem deafeningly quiet. Kanae, still in an embrace with Hiou, looked over and met the beautiful older woman's look of amusement. Suddenly Kanae realized her position and pushed back.

Hiou, who could have stayed in that position forever, looked surprised and slightly hurt by Kanae's sudden movement. Kanae saw this, couldn't let him feel hurt, "I need to greet everyone, Hiou-chan."

Hiou nodded a trifle sadly and watched her move into the waiting group. Renate moved over next to him, "Patience, young man. The best things in life are well worth waiting for. You just keep focusing on becoming a man worthy of her interest."

Hiou looked over at the woman who he had known as Sophia, Kanae's manager, until one day ago. This was the second time she had given him the same advice. "You promised that you'd bring her back. Thank you."

Renate shook her head in amusement, "Your girl and her new friend took care of things themselves. I've never seen anything quite like it." When she saw his confused look, she continued, "I don't want to have to tell the story a hundred times, so I beg you to wait until I can talk to everyone at once."

Behind her there was the sound of more helicopters. She glanced back, "Ahh, the rest should be here soon."

* * *

The people who lived near Melbourne City Studios were used to all manner of vehicles coming and going for the variety of films that were made there. Still, the steady stream of helicopters with military and federal markings was becoming annoying by the time the last one finally settled.

At the director's request, the largest studio building, complete with two-hundred chairs, was set aside for their use that afternoon and evening. Cast and crew sat with the Australian Federal Police and the Tactical Assualt Group (along with their support team). Nobody knew exactly why they were all being called together.

Renate Analise DeGarmo and Sergio Fabriani stepped up to the makeshift platform. A large screen was placed behind the pair. Sergio handed his boss a cordless microphone and stood back. "Good afternoon, everyone. I know that some of you have had a very long night, and so I'll keep this brief. Many of you know me as Sophia Anderson, Kotonami Kanae's manager. My real name is Renate Analise DeGarmo, and I am a senior detective with Interpol.

She waited for the muttering to cease. Everyone had seen the way that she had taken charge and given orders in the pre-dawn hours. They had also witnessed her being whisked away in an Australian Federal Police helicopter. But except for a select few, they hadn't been informed about what was really happening. Even people whose lives were wrapped around creating dramatic stories found the situation amazing.

"This is my assistant, Detective Sergio Fabriani," she waited for Sergio to give a bow to the gathered group. "He and I came to Australia specifically to track a known kidnapper. We had reason to suspect that he was going to target Kouenji Erika." She held up a staying hand to hold off questions, "I know that at least a few of you are asking yourselves why we didn't inform everyone. My only answer is that we tried that strategy to catch him in the past, and failed. This time we needed a different approach. So I got as close as I could to Erika-san and waited. Later I found out that Kotonami Kanae was also a target.

"I never dreamed that he would do something as drastic as creating a landslide. Up until now he has never killed a single person, as far as we know. So I can only apologize for the terrible danger that many of you faced last night.

"What we did do was set up a way to track our two young ladies. I cannot tell you how; I can only say that we knew that we would be able to trace them wherever he took them." _Before they had climbed onto the helicopter the NSA technician had made the two young ladies take off their right shoes. Then, using a special removal chemical, he had taken the fake toenail from each girl's big toe. As quickly as that was done, he had left the room. They had looked at their feet in surprise, at each other, and then at Renate. "Sorry, girls, I can't tell you anything about what you just saw. Just trust me when I tell you that we've been tracking you for hours."_

"The other people here today are the Australian Federal Police and TAG, the anti-terrorist team of the Special Air Service." The cast and crew, especially the ladies, looked at the muscular, for the most part handsome young men with interest. The men of the cast and crew had already been checking out the six young ladies among the group.

"We have all been working together since very early this morning to accomplish the rescue of our two young ladies. The people in these two groups are the best of the best Australia has to offer." The teams responded in different levels of pleasure to her words. "But it wasn't any of us who finally took down the man who has been causing problems for law enforcement agencies throughout the world…" Renate paused dramatically, an amused smile on her face.

Kanae cringed slightly in her seat, knowing what was coming. Erika, characteristically, sat up straighter and preened.

"It wasn't any of us who took him down because, when we arrived, our two young heroines had taken care of everything for us." Sergio keyed a remote, and the hanging projector displayed a big man, bruised and battered, slumping in the chair that he was bound to. "I have been wracking my brain for hours trying to come up with an amusing quote for this moment, but I have failed. The picture speaks for itself.

"I will say this to the men in the room, though. I would _highly _advise you to treat these two young ladies with respect."

When the laughter and clapping had died down, Renate spoke again, "One of the reasons that I've asked you all to gather here is to make a request. In the past when crimes like this become well-known there are copy-cats who try to either imitate or out-do the criminal. So I need to ask you to keep this entire incident, and the cause behind it all, secret. I know that eventually news will leak out, but I am hoping to avoid a media-frenzy. There's a second reason that we've gathered you here, but I'll let Director Shinai explain that."

As everyone applauded Renate and Sergio, Director Shinai stepped up and took the microphone. "Even though our two young stars stole the show, we would still like to thank all of the authorities for all that you have done for us and them. That is why we would like to invite you to spend the evening with us. I have laid on food, drinks, and even live music. Please stay."

* * *

At Kanae's request, Renate led her to the room where Matsuda Sumi was keeping herself. Careful questioning had satisfactorily cleared the poor lady of any wrong-doing many hours before. But she couldn't make herself face the raven-haired girl whose live had been endangered because of Richard.

Kanae knocked gently. When there was no response Kanae tried the doorknob and bound it unlocked. Matsuda was curled up in a fetal position on her hotel-room bed. "Matsu… Sumi-chan, may I please come in?"

Sumi rolled over, bewildered, almost frightened to see Kanae's face. "Please, Sumi-chan, may I come in and talk to you?"

Matsuda Sumi turned and sat up, but she brought her knees up and clutched them. "Why would you want to talk to me? It's all my fault; all of it. Richard tried to kill everyone. He abducted you and Kouenji-san. And I'm the one who brought him here!"

Kanae sat down next to the blond girl and wrapped an arm around her, "He tried to kill you, too. Sumi-chan. He tricked you and used you. But it was all his doing, not yours."

As the older lady started to cry, Kanae just pulled her tight and let her work out her pain and frustration. Renate opened the door slightly to check on the two of them, and then shut it again. She wondered if Kanae would ever realize how much this day had changed her. She was showing tenderness and affection in a way that she had never allowed herself to show before. Renate sighed; she had grown to like and respect the young actress. She almost hated to leave her now.

* * *

It took an hour, but Kanae was able to get Hiou's manager cleaned up, dolled up, and over to the party at the studio. In the photo of Richard that had been projected his face was so bruised that nobody had recognized him. Only a select few knew that the man who had committed these terrible acts was none other than Matsuda Sumi's fiancé. They never shared the information.

Sergeant Elanzo Noel noticed the withdrawn lady sitting alone in the corner and went to her. With charm, dignity, and cajolery he managed to drag her out to the dance floor. He kept her out there, or in his company, for the rest of the night. In the end it was the oldest SASR, the one who wasn't even looking to meet a girl, who found his love that night. It would take another eighteen months of patient, loving persuasion; but in the end Japan lost a gifted young lady and Hiou lost his manager. Matsuda's second love turned out to be everything that Richard was not.

The story of what the TAG team found when they busted down the door was told over and over that night. The Lieutenant said it best when he ended his version with, "I'll never be able to drink a cup of coffee without laughing, ever again."

* * *

Director Shinai allowed everyone to sleep in until 10am the next morning before he gathered the cast and crew together. "Everyone has had a stressful two days. We have made tremendous progress in filming our movie and we are actually ahead of schedule. I've spoken with the producers and they agree: We're giving everyone a week-long break before we resume filming. For those of you from Japan, I've arranged for round-trip tickets home if you want them. Everyone, please have a fun and safe week."

Everyone applauded in surprise at the announcement. Within hours the people were scattered to the four winds.

* * *

Renate Analise DeGarmo lingered until the morning to make her goodbyes to Kanae. "Do you forgive me for deceiving you?"

"I would forgive you if you were willing to stay on as my manager." Kanae responded archly.

Renate looked at the raven-haired beauty affectionately, "I really wish that I could. But I've still got a job to do, and there is no end of criminals out there to deal with." She raised a graceful hand up and brushed a long strand of hair off of Kanae's shoulder. "But I would like to stay in contact. Someday I want to spoil the children you and Hiou make."

Kanae blushed crimson, "Sophia! He's five years younger than I am and he's just a kid!"

"Yes," Renate said, quite seriously, "but in six years he'll be twenty. If what I see in him now is any evidence to what he'll become, then you'll have a real fine man on your hands. Personally, I'd wait for him."

Kanae wanted to steer the conversation in a different direction. "Where will you go now?"

"Back to Rome first. Then, who knows. I have my own fine man that I've been stringing along for far too long. Maybe if I finally let him catch me I'll end up with a daughter as wonderful as you."

The two beautiful women hugged affectionately. As Kanae watched Renate leave, she thought about all that her ex-manager had said.

* * *

There was one more meeting on that day that is noteworthy. Kouenji Erika, flanked by Albert Foss, stood at gate 12b of the airport and waited as the first-class passengers disembarked. A tall, dignified, middle-aged Japanese man was the fifth man off. As soon as he saw his beautiful blond daughter he rushed forward and seized her in a tight embrace.

Nobody can blame him if he shed a few bitter tears that afternoon over the daughter that he had horribly neglected and almost lost.

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** This is a short chapter, and a little bit of a filler, but necessary for the next chapters. The next chapter, "Much wise counsel," needs to stand alone, so I will break the story here.

Please let me know what you think of the story so far.


	26. Much Wise Counsel

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 26 – Much Wise Counsel**

It's difficult to act mature 24/7. To give him credit, Hiou had done a remarkable job in the last month making himself "be a man" rather than the young teen that he really was. Sometimes it was much harder than others.

Take now for example: Here he was, sitting in the same row as Kanae for the flight to Tokyo. Everything should have been great, right! But no-o-o, four of the girls in the movie were also seated there, and they were dominating her attention. All they could talk about was what had happened in the last few days; and how scared they had been; and how brave Kanae and Erika were; and how surprised they were that Erika was actually acting nice to everyone. _Don't they ever stop?!_

In another hour they would land, and then Kanae would go her way and he would go his and he wouldn't see her for a week and what if some guy shows up and… He clenched his fists in disgust. He had _almost_ let the old, bratty Hiou out. He made himself repeat Kyoko's words in his head, _"She'll never like you if she can't respect you. And she will never respect you if you are acting like a spoiled little kid. She has enough of those in her own family. She needs a man."_

He took a deep breath and used his martial arts training to calm his mind. Mature… manly… controlled; _this would be so much easier if those girls would stop prattling on… STOP! Calm… mature… manly… controlled._ He felt better now. He turned to look at Kanae and waited for the jackdaws to take a breath, "Kotonomi-san, we should go to Kyoko's opening night together. It'll help promote our movie." He didn't use her first name so that the girls wouldn't make a big deal out of it.

Kanae was actually just as annoyed as Hiou with the way the girls kept going on about her "heroism." She had been abducted; did they think she would just lay around and do _nothing_? She met Hiou's eyes, "That's a good idea, Uesugi-chan."

"That's great!" The girls chimed in, "Let's ALL go!"

Hiou's fists were clenched again as the girls started prattling on about "What should I wear?"

Kanae was just grateful that they had stopped talking about the abduction.

* * *

Kanae would never admit it to anyone, but she was dying for the movie to end so that she could talk to Kyoko. She had hoped to meet with her during the day, but the producers had kept her friend busy all day with pre-opening interviews and signature-parties at the malls. Kanae felt very proud of her friend. _Her movie debut and she's already a big star._ She had watched several of the interviews while she waited for the limo to pick her up. She had felt the same momentary fear that had plagued her before she accepted her own role, _What if we drift apart?_ Kyoko had grown so much in such a short time. Not only had her character roles helped to shape how she presented herself, but her love for Tsuruga Ren, and his love for her, had stabilized her. Kanae sighed.

Then Hiou had shown up, looking dashing in his tailor-made tuxedo. Director Shinai had _suggested_ that she and Hiou show up in-character, complete with costume. She had revived that cold, threatening gaze as she stood him down, "This is Kyoko's movie, _Mister Director_. We are _not_ going there to steal her spotlight." Nobody was surprised when he relented. In fact, they had expected him to go cringe in a corner somewhere after that look.

She may not have intended to steal the show, but Kanae would certainly steal a few male hearts dressed as she was tonight. She wore a "simple" black silk evening dress, complete with a single strand of pearls; a parting gift from Renate. She had already stolen Hiou's heart, but she certainly stole his breath away as he saw her for the first time that evening.

Kanae saw his reaction and felt secretly pleased. "Breathe, Hiou-chan. And close your mouth please. Didn't anybody ever tell you that it's not polite to stare at a woman?"

Hiou straightened to his full height and offered her his arm, "You're not a woman tonight, Kanae-san. You're a goddess." Kanae was very glad that the dark of the late-fall evening hid the crimson creeping into her cheeks.

The movie definitely lived up to all of the hype. _Ronin's Children_ was the story of a young lady who had devoted her youth to seeking revenge on the people who had killed her parents and brother. Her quest had made her both more than she had been, and less. By the end of the movie Kanae and everyone else in the packed cinema was absolutely captivated with the story and Kyoko's character. Kanae was amazed once again at how real every one of Kyoko's characters was.

When Kanae had first realized that the odd, short-haired blond girl was a genius at acting, it had intimidated her and made her angry. Until that point she had disregarded the plain-seeming girl, not believing that she could ever be an actress. Now Kyoko was her best friend and greatest rival. Knowing that Kyoko was out there, making movie and television magic, spurred Kanae to work harder and harder to perfect her own characters. That is what she had tried to communicate to Erika: rivalry doesn't have to be a bad thing.

Kanae was on her feet applauding with everyone else as the credits rolled and the cast and crew of the movie went forward to take their bows. Knowing that there would be a long line to congratulate Kyoko, Kanae and Hiou remained in their seats for another ten minutes. One sharp reporter spotted the pair sitting there and accosted them, "Kotonami-san, congratulations on being named one of Japan's most beautiful women. Could I ask for a comment from either of you on Mogami Kyoko's performance, or about the movie?"

"Kyoko-chan did a really great job," Hiou said, "But Kanae-chan is still better."

Kanae gave him a cold look, and then turned to the reporter, "I disagree. I think that Kyoko's portrayal of Enoki Masami was brilliant. She may be young, but she is one of the best character actors in Japan today."

Kanae didn't want to take any more interview questions, so she excused herself and walked down to congratulate her friend. Kyoko, lost in the moment and desperate to see her best friend, spotted her coming down the aisle, "MOKO-SAN!" Kanae cringed as her very dear friend rushed past the other people waiting to speak with her and hugged her tightly. She didn't have to be a genius to realize what would show up in the entertainment news tomorrow.

* * *

"Gome nasai! Hontoni gomen nasai!"

"Mo! Just get off the floor and stop bowing. It's too late now anyway."

Kanae had spent the night at the Darumaya with Kyoko. It was morning now, and Kanae was sitting at the food bar as Kyoko knelt on the floor in apology. Sitting in front of her on the bar counter was the Tokyo Daily News. Featured on the front page of the entertainment section was a picture of Kyoko hugging Kanae. The title of the piece, in big, bold letters read "Moko-San? Two of Japan's Rising Stars Meet Again."

Kanae had asked, nay begged, nay commanded Kyoko to never call her _that name_ in public. Just as she had feared, the reporters had picked up on it. People loved nicknames. Kanae knew that it was set in stone now. By the end of the day half of Japan would know Kyoko's nickname for her and adopt it as their own. She would be 100 years old and people would still use _that stupid nickname!_ She sighed an rubbed her temples. _Oh well, it was inevitable._

"Let's talk about something else. How are things going with you and Tsuruga-san?"

Kyoko's face looked angelic as she spoke of her relationship and the plans underway or the wedding. Suddenly she realized that she might be boring her friend, "So, tell me about how things are going with Hiou."

"Mo! Not that again." Kanae raised a hand and used each finger to count off her reasoning, "Look, he's too young for me. He's too young for a relationship, period. I'm too busy to be interested in anybody. I'm certainly _not_ going to fall in love with a fourteen year-old boy! And feelings that develop on an oversees shoot are never reliable."

Kyoko picked up on her friend's last point, "Feelings… hmmm? And what feelings might those be?"

Kanae was furious at herself for blushing. "Look, he writes these silly little haikus and sends them to me everyday, ok. I told him to stop… no, that's not true… I meant to tell him to stop… but he just keeps sending them and… and…"

"Ok, I know about the haiku's, but…" Suddenly Kyoko's eager face took on an alarmed expression and then a furtive look.

Kanae knew her friend too well, "Just how do you know about the haikus?" The look she turned on Kyoko was murderous, "If you want to stay my friend, you had better tell me the truth."

* * *

Hiou was amazed and gratified when Kanae showed up at the dojo and started suiting up for sword practice. Until he saw the look of controlled rage on her face.

"Umm, Kanae-san, I didn't really expect you to come and spar on your week off."

"Well I'm here, so get suited up. And I think that you better call be Kotonami-san from now on."

Hiou vacillated between bewilderment and distress as he changed. They bowed to the wall of ancestors and then to each other. And then she was attacking him with a fury. This was the first time that they had practice with swords that he had needed to work hard hold Kanae back. She was fighting like a woman possessed.

"What did I do wrong?" He asked, breathing heavily as he parried a brutal blow.

"You and my best friend have been playing with my feelings. You've been _pretending_ to be mature. You've been pumping Kyoko for information on what I like and dislike." She made a series of lightning strike that pushed Hiou backwards.

"I bet you didn't even write those _stupid_ haikus!"

Hiou lost concentration at her last words and was suddenly disarmed. Kanae, with her blade pointed at his face, motioned for him to pick up his weapon. His face was crestfallen as he knelt down to retrieve the sword. "I… I know they were corny… but I worked really hard on them… I thought that since you didn't tell me to stop… that maybe they weren't… that maybe you liked them." All of his energy was gone. Instead of picking up the sword, he sat on the floor looking lost.

Kanae felt horrified at his reaction, the hurt on his face, "You wrote those? I mean, you didn't copy them from a book or something?"

Hiou looked at her defiantly, "You don't have to make fun of them. I know their stupid. But I'm not a writer, _Okay_?!"

Kanae knelt down so that she could meet Hiou's eyes. "Their not stupid. I really didn't mean what I said. Look, I still have every single one of them in my phone. I even go back and read them. I'm really sorry that I said that."

Hiou didn't know whether to believe her or not. He could only nod.

"Look, I was just angry because I felt like you and Kyoko were scheming against me."

"She wasn't scheming against you. She just gave me a little advice. Everyone did." He reached into the back pocket of his gi to extract a folded sheet of paper, "See?"

Kanae took the paper and gently unfolded it. It looked like it had been carried around that way for a long time. Written on the paper was advice Hiou had collected from people who knew her:

_Moko-san will never respond to you as long as you choose to act like her nephews and nieces. Take a look in the mirror. Do you really want to be seen like them? – Mogami Kyoko_

_You need to be a gentleman if you ever hope to catch her heart. Look at your father and grandfather. Moko-san respects them and honors them. They are both true gentlemen. Make them your model. Eventually you'll start to become the part. – Akio Mari_

_Treat her with respect, not adoration. She has earned the right to be treated as a professional. – Tsuruga Ren_

_You're doing the right thing when you train her. Don't try to pamper her. You've seen where she came from. She did it all herself. She is strong and capable. She has steel in her soul. You have to acknowledge that. – Mogami Kyoko_

_If you can't say it, write it. It will give you time to get your words just right. Have you ever written a Haiku? I think she really likes those. – Chiori Amamiya_

_If you need to vent and let out your bratty-side, vent to me. I spent my childhood around Fuwa Sho; I'm used to it. – Mogami Kyoko_

_If you come on strong, you'll drive her away. I know that you want to spend every waking moment with her; if you try to do that you'll lose any chance of spending a lifetime with her. – Sophia Anderson_

_It is every person's responsibility to fashion himself into the man he hopes to become. Find the highest ideal and aim for it. If Kanae is right for you she will eventually respond to the man that you have become. - Father_

_Your only weapon against the age difference between you and the woman you love is to become somebody worthy of notice. I know your true character, Grandson. If you hope to win the prize, you need to fashion yourself in the way that a master fashions a sword. Become as beautiful, powerful, and reliable as that blade and she will take note of you. – Grandfather_

Kanae didn't know what to say. Two things were clear: These people really did understand her, and Hiou had gone through a lot of trouble to get closer to her. She couldn't make herself feel mad about that. Instead she re-folded the paper and handed it back to the depressed looking teen. "Thank you for showing me this. You went to a lot of trouble for me, thank you. Why don't you try just being yourself for a while?"

"That's just it," Hiou said as he looked up at her and took the paper, "I don't really know who _I _am anymore. I only know that I want to be somebody the you will look at."

Kanae couldn't think of anything to say to that. She returned her sword to its scabbard, bowed to Hiou, and left the dojo.

Hiou's mother was standing outside waiting for her, "Kotonami-san, would you walk with me in the garden?"

They walked silently through the sculpted garden until they came to a small bridge crossing a bubbling brook. "I was sixteen years old when I first met Ryotaru-dono. He was already a famous actor in martial arts movies by then. He was also famous for chasing girls and breaking hearts. He saw me and totally forgot about the woman he had been walking with."

Kanae looked at the small woman who so resembled an expensive porcelain doll, "I can certainly understand that."

"He asked around until he found out where I lived, and then he showed up on my doorstep. I told him to go away. I told him that I wasn't interested in the type of man who plays with women's hearts. He only said one thing, 'Please watch me; I'll come back in one year.'"

"From that day on he never dated another woman. He wrote letters of apology to every woman he had hurt, if he knew their addresses. He even made a public apology on the radio to those that he couldn't find. In exactly one year he came to my doorstep again."

She held Kanae's eyes for a long time, "How many men do you know who would work that hard to change themselves for the woman that they love?"

Despite herself, Kanae had to answer, "Only one."

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** Next chapter we travel back to Australia to finish the movie. To those of you who questioned how quickly Hiou was growing up, I hope that this dispels your doubts. If not, I hope you can enjoy the story anyway.

Please review. Your comments give me the energy to keep writing.


	27. An apology and the dreaded day

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 27 – An apology and the dreaded day**

The next two days were torture for Kanae. She should have been having a great time. She was back in Japan and back with her friends. She had met with Matsushima-san concerning multiple acting and modeling job offers that were pouring in. She was finally seeing her dreams of stardom coming true.

But there hadn't been any phone messages. Not one. She had checked… numerous times. She had finally changed the message alarm from "buzz" to a tune so that she would stop thinking ever breath of wind was a phone message. But it didn't matter because there weren't any phone messages.

She heard her angry words in her head over and over again. Kanae knew that she had a temper. She even knew that she could cut with her sharp words. But she hadn't wanted to hurt Hiou. At the moment she had told herself that Hiou had just been playing a game with her. She knew the truth now. She had felt frustrated with her own developing feelings; and she had been looking for an excuse to explain away those feelings. In the process she had deeply hurt the person who had shown the courage to expose his vulnerable heart to her.

That was true courage. What she had done to Cameo was nothing in comparison. Hiou was conducting a seemingly hopeless campaign to win her heart against nearly impossible odds; knowing that he would probably lose in the end. Kanae knew that she didn't have that kind of courage. She couldn't even face up to her own feelings about him. She was too worried about seeming silly and about how it would look if anyone found out. Only now, after she had insulted all of his efforts, all she wanted was for him to write to her again.

Kyoko wasn't any help. She was unapologetic about helping Hiou, and she felt that Kanae needed to make things right, "Moko-san, you deliberately scare away any man who tries to get close to you. Hiou's the first guy who's too stubborn to give up."

And so here Kanae was, sitting in her apartment and scribbling meaningless words. Even though her family was all back where they belonged, her front room still looked messy. It was strewn with a thousand failed attempts at apology. She heard an ice-cream truck passing and found herself checking her phone again. It was then that she finally found the words to send.

Your words speak to me  
they reach deep inside and strum  
music to my heart

Please forgive me and write to me again. – Kanae

She hadn't even finished cleaning up all of the paper from the floor when her phone finally played the tune she had been waiting for.

I am like the Earth  
trapped by the unremitting Sun  
your light is my strength

She sat there, on her paper strewn floor, and read through all of his messages again and again.

* * *

Hiou had been dreading this day. He had known it was coming, had marked it off on the calendar, had railed against it and cursed it. But in the end it came nonetheless.

Hiou stood in front of the door and knocked, wanting to see her and still fearing to see her. Yesterday, when he had received her message, he was finally able to breathe again. He had felt silly and stupid when he had written his first haiku. But she had liked it and had even encouraged him to keep writing. He had worked feverishly, searching for ways to tell her how he felt; looking for some way to reach her heart. And then she had called his efforts "stupid" and he had felt empty inside. Now he felt alive again because she wanted him to keep writing to her.

But none of that reconciled him to this dreaded day. Even now his mother was waiting in the car to drive them to the Darumaya where everyone was waiting for her. He braced himself as she opened the door. She was so stunningly beautiful that it took him a moment to speak. Finally he made his voice work, "Ha-happy birthday, Kanae-san." Kanae was nineteen today, and they were once-again five years apart.

* * *

Kyoko, Aiko Mari, and Maria had done all of the preparation work for Kanae's party. Okame-san and Taisho played gracious host; they liked and respected Kanae both for herself and for her friendship with Kyoko. Quite a few other LME people, as well as people from Kanae's shows were there to wish her happy birthday as well. Hiou's father and grandfather sent their best regards, but only his mother could attend. Everyone made Kanae feel special, loved and respected.

There were quite a few gifts, more than Kanae had ever received before, but it was three special gifts that Kanae would cherish the most. The first came from Hiou's mother. "Kotonami-san, to us you _are_ a princess, so my husband and I wanted you to have something to remember your role as Euiko."

Kanae carefully un-wrapped the soft package to reveal the most exquisite kimono she had ever seen. It was golden yellow with a royal crimson wrap, just like the one she had seen displayed at Shuri Castle. "It's made by hand using the ancient Kijoka Bashofu* weaving technique," the small lady said softly. "I hope that you like it?"

Kanae laid the incredibly soft, beautiful kimono aside and embraced her. "It's perfect. It's far too precious for me, though."

"We don't think so. I'm not pushing you where it concerns my son. But everyone in our family wants you to know how we feel about you. Whatever else happens, you will always be special to us."

The second two gifts came from Hiou. The first was a custom-made necklace; the pendant was the image of the sun and the earth. The second was a leather-bound parchment book. Hiou looked sheepish and just a little apprehensive as he handed it to her. He had pulled her aside to give it to her so that she could reject it if she chose to. She looked at him speculatively before untying the silken cord around it. She opened it to reveal page after page of the haiku's that he had written for her.

Whatever he was expecting her to do, he wasn't expecting her to seize him in a tight embrace and lay her head on his shoulder, "Does this mean that you've forgiven me, Hiou-chan?"

He wanted desperately to kiss her at that moment, but he held himself back with a strength he never knew he possessed, "Um-hmm" was all he could get out as a reply.

Kanae released the poor overwrought boy and picked up the book again. She thumbed through each page carefully, admiring the calligraphy. "Did you do all of the calligraphy too?"

"Hai. I've been practicing."

Kanae was remembering her grandfather and the way his brush would move like magic across the parchment. Hiou couldn't have given a more perfect gift. "There're a lot of empty pages?"

"I was hoping… if it's ok to keep sending you haikus… that you would let me fill the rest in over time."

Kanae might have recognized this as a deliberate excuse to keep seeing her after the movie was done filming, but she didn't care, "This is wonderful, Hiou-chan. You're going to have to work hard to get the rest of the pages filled." Her eyes issued him the challenge that he was more than happy to accept.

* * *

After such an eventful week, their leave-taking was almost anti-climactic. Kyoko was meeting about her new movie in Nepal. Aiko Mari was heading already in Nepal with the crew members. Only Hiou's grandfather and several relatives of other cast and crew were there. The dignified older man practically took possession of Kanae while they waited for their flight to be announced. The two of them, old man and young lady, sat companionably together as he talked about the history and tradition of Ryukyu to help her better understand her character. Kanae was amazed at his depth of knowledge. She was also charmed by his wisdom and manner. He was a true gentleman.

Finally they were in the air. "I'm really sorry if grandfather talked your ear off," Hiou said anxiously.

Kanae regarded the tall young man seriously, "I enjoyed talking with him. You make yourself into a man like him, Hiou-chan, and I will take note."

"Is that a promise?"

"It's a promise," Kanae yawned, "but for now, all I want is a little rest." With that she laid her head back, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

If Hiou spent a little too much time staring at her peaceful, sleeping face, who could blame him?

* * *

When they landed in Melbourne, they were met by a certain officious blonde. "Well, it took you long enough to get back here," Erika said irritably. "_I_ at least want to get this movie made. I guess that _nobody else_ thinks that it's that important."

Kanae smiled, "We missed you too, Erika-chan."

The Japanese contingent of the cast and crew went past the girl and over to baggage claim as she sputtered her protests of denial. Albert Foss only grinned.

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** This is a very short chapter in comparison to the last few. It is also a little "fluffy." I won't apologize. Lest you think that Kanae is getting too affectionate with a fourteen year-old, understand that the tender moments are spaced few and far-between.

*The ancient Kijoka Bashofu weaving technique used to create the kimono is very real. It is a technique using banana-tree fibers that was prevalent for many generations, but was almost lost during this century. If you wanted to buy something made with this technique, plan on spending a lot of money.


	28. A Question of Destiny

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 28 – A Question of Destiny**

Kanae was grinning fiercely as she parried Hiou's blow and spun low to slash up at him. He quickly met and guided the blow off-course, but he wasn't able to knock her off center. Even as he reversed and struck downward she twisted her wrists, pointing her blade towards the ground to deflect him. On and on they went, neither giving way nor gaining ground. Kanae understood now the exhilaration that Kyoko had talked about in her own training when things suddenly clicked and her body began to react by instinct.

The set-up crew had arrived early to begin preparation for the day's filming, but now they just stood and watched. Both actors were dressed in plain, worn gis*, but somehow their movements and energy made them seem almost supernatural to the gathering spectators. The "Stewart Farm" where they would film today was actually a working farm. The husband and wife had readily accepted the offer of hard cash for the use of their place for two weeks. They, their farmhands, and other locals drifted in and out to watch the filming. Unlike the cast members, the farmers were used to rising early; so they were already drifting in to see what was happening.

Kanae and Hiou saw none of this. They slashed and parried and thrust and blocked; they spun and jumped and crouched; all to seek advantage, to find an unsuspecting weakness. Kanae had graduated from using wooden swords now, and the glossy metal of the blades was catching the orange morning light, making their swords look almost like light-sabers.

Hiou seemed handsome and manly to the onlookers. Kanae was an otherworldly beauty as her long raven-hair flowed with her movements as if it had a life of its own. The pair continued, with sweat running of their foreheads and into their eyes and mouths. They didn't notice any of this. Their entire concentration was on their opposite. Even as they struck at each other they shared companionable grins. Both felt the power of the confrontation, the joy of the match.

Finally, by no clear signal, their match drew to an end. As they saluted each other and bowed, they were startled by the sudden applause around them. For the first time they became aware of the gathered crowd. Hiou, grinning, made a dashing bow in the western fashion. Then, ever the showman, he gestured towards Kanae. Even as the crowd applauded again, Kanae extended a hand and the two bowed together, like stage actors.

The sound of thundering hooves drew everyone's attention as Erika, blonde hair flying behind her, crested the hill and pounded on towards the farmstead. The people were beginning to move back to get out of her way when she suddenly pulled back strongly on the reins. Her beautiful brown reared high on his powerful hind legs. Then, still on his hind legs, he pranced around in a circle, finally settling as Erika gracefully dismounted. Once again the crowd applauded. Kanae and Hiou shook their heads in tolerance as Erika also bowed. Even if their evening together with Erika had been unnaturally pleasant, Erika was still Erika. She craved the spotlight and wasn't the slightest bit shy about it.

"Good morning, Erika-san." Neither Kanae nor Erika knew exactly how to deal with each other now. How do you go from being arch-enemies to friends in a single day? Now that they were safe again, they both moved around each other in the tentative way of two cats meeting for the first time. Still, it was progress.

"Good morning, Kanae-san. Are you ready for today? Shinai-san wants to film as much as possible in this single day, so that the light is consistent." She spoke as one professional talking to another.

"I know that you have to shoot pretty soon, but after that do you think we could go over our dialogue?"

It had been the same request that Kanae had made on the bus ride from the spa. Kanae smiled, "I'd like that."

_Author's note: The following scenes are only described, not presented in detail, until everyone has been returned to the farm._

_The beaten and bruised companions make their way down the mountain paths until all are safely together. There they settled for the night as the heavy rain returned._

_Angela, still whole and unhurt, makes her way to the horses and rides in the early dawn towards home._

_Two men from adjoining farms arrive at the foot of the mountains with a wagon._

_Simon attended by Hiroji, and Gus, attended by Euiko, ride in the back of the wagon. The others ride alongside._

**[**John Stewart wakes to find Angela wiping his forehead.

"Where's Simon?" He started to rise up. Angela stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"He's safe, Dad. Don't try to get up. His leg is broken from a fall, but it will mend. You would have been proud of him, though. Those bush rangers didn't stand a chance."

"Hiroji?"

Angela frowned slightly, "The prince is safe. They came here to kill him, Dad."

"From Japan?"

"Yeah. But Hiroji and the princess beat them."

"Princess?"

Angela's hand clenched the bedsheets, "Yeah, but not his sister. She's here to drag Hiroji home."

John smoothed his daughter's blonde hair, "Angela, you had to know he wouldn't stay forever. If he's a prince, then he has responsibilities."

"But Dad, next to you he's the only real man around here. I know that he's just a boy, but he's got more dignity and class in his fingertips than most of the men around here have in their whole bodies. You should have seen him fight that man, Dad. It's like he's… he's… I don't know!"

John smiled at his daughter, "I always wondered when some man would finally touch your heart. Well, we'll have to see what Hiroji decides. Now, won't you please get me some water? After that why don't you tackle your chores? It'll help clear your mind."

Angela rolled her eyes, "I can see that a little gunshot wound hasn't changed much around here."**]**

**[**Angela walked into the barn to find Euiko currying her horse. Their faces were expressionless as they nodded to each other. "Princess."

"Hello. How should I call you?"

"Angela is fine." She picked up a pitchfork and started moving hay. She called over her shoulder, "So are you really a princess?"

"My family is of the nobility, but I am not of the King's family. The prince is the king's own nephew."

"But why did they send a girl instead of a man?"

Euiko stopped combing her horse and turned her regard on the blonde girl, "I have seen you ride and fight. You are as capable as any man. Why does it surprise you that I am the same?"

Angela turned and set the pitchfork tongs on the earth. She leaned her chin onto the hand covering the pitchfork and met the raven-haired girl's eyes. "Sure, I'm frontier woman. But you don't act like any princess I've ever read about. You fought a man more than twice your weight and size and won. If Gus is telling the truth, you fought another man even bigger. That don't sound like something princesses do."

"Many people feel that noble women should just sit around and look ornamental. Thankfully my father did not agree. My father is a very skilled fighter. When he didn't have any sons, he passed his learning on to me. I have trained in the arts of hand and weapon combat from the time that I was very little." Her face was sad as she looked at her hands, "Though I never really thought that I would have to kill men."

Angela looked at the other young lady and then started using the pitchfork on the floor again. As she worked, she talked, "My ma was a good woman. One day she went into town to buy cloth to make a dress for me. There was this man, a kid really; he decided to rob the store for booze money. That's it… just because he was too lazy to work for himself. Well, the clerk, he tries to pull out a gun. The kid panics and shoots… only he misses and kills my ma." They both worked silently for a few moments, "The clerk shot him dead, but it didn't give ma her life back.

"I taught myself to shoot after that. I figured if the world was full of bad people with guns, then I had better be ready to shoot a few if it became necessary. You may live in an ivory tower, Princess, but where I live there are plenty of snakes; and they don't all crawl on the ground."

"You saw the Japanese man who led those bandits? He is a part of the government of Japan. That country is slowly and insidiously taking over our county. The snakes are everywhere, Angela-san, sometimes they even wear official robes."

"Then why are you here trying to drag Hiroji back to that? He said that his uncle didn't even want him there. If that's true, then what good will it do anyway?"

Euiko started to answer, stopped. They met each other's eyes as the light played across the floating barn dust, "I can only answer that his people have need of him. If your farm was taken over by many strong men, would you leave your family at the mercy of these men?"

There was no answer.**]**

**[**Euiko and Hiroji walk along the ridge skirting one side of the Stewart farm. Neither speak. Euiko is in front, facing away. Her hair is unbound and the long, raven tresses dance in the wind. Hiroji's eyes watch for a moment with unbridled longing. He looks down quickly as she turns back towards him.

"So, the only reason that you came looking for me was because of your father?"

"He is an old man who has devoted his life to serving the Royal Family. I could not allow him to be blamed for something he had no part in."

"I never meant to harm your noble father. He has always been kind to me."

"That, perhaps, is the problem. You have never 'meant' to do anything, except perhaps your Mobutu Udon Ti training," Eukio looked at him sternly even as she had to push a strand of hair from her face, "I know that you are young, Prince Mobutu, but you _are_ a prince. As such your actions affect your family. Your behavior affects your people. All that you are, and all that you do, affects the Kingdom of Ryukyu."

"But what if I don't want to _be_ a prince? What good has it ever done for me? I will never be king. That honor belongs to Sho Boku's son by _that woman!_ What benef…"

SLAP! Hiroji was rocked back on his heals as Euiko's hand impacted his left cheek. He stood there, hand on his face, staring at the girl in shock.

When she spoke, it was with a calm but icy-cold voice, "Benefit? Every morning you awoke in the Royal Palace. You were bathed in the finest oils. You ate a breakfast large enough to feed a village family. You wore silken robes that would have paid the taxes of an entire village for a year! Your horse, your sword, your gold all came from the sweat and toil of the people.

"Because of your uncle, nobody has to starve in Ryukyu. Because of his efforts, and the efforts of his father, and his father's father, the Kingdom has known relative peace. He has worked tirelessly for his people. He has tried to ensure that his ministers and his tax collectors are fair and just. He has treated you like a son! And what have you done? You mock him because he cannot stop the Japanese soldiers from coming in. You ridicule him because he does not drive them all into the sea! _You_ despise _him_ and call him weak!

"But what are you? You have been offered the best education, yet you do not study. Unlike me, a _mere_ woman, you could easily become a minister to the king. Yet you do not show even the slightest interest in the government of Ryukyu or the needs of her people. You demand and whine and grasp, but I ask you, _Prince_: what _benefit_ has Ryukyu ever gotten from you?"

Stunningly beautiful in her rage, Euiko stalked off down the hill, leaving a very shocked Hiroji standing alone.**]**

**[**Gus, sitting on a wooden chair on the porch with his arm heavily bandaged, watches Euiko stalking up to the farm house. Her hair blows behind her and, fluffing in the wind, it acts as a shroud around her beautiful, angry face.

"He's still very young, Princess. Give him some time."

"You do not comprehend, Gus-san. For our nobility there is no time to be young. We begin training to assume our roles from the moment we can speak. It is his destiny to serve his people. It is his responsibility to seek that which makes their lives better."

"The world is changing, Princess. In many places there is no 'nobility.' Men and women are free to pursue their own dreams and to see how far those dreams can take them."

Euiko looked at the big, handsome man earnestly, "I have heard of this, and I believe that it is good to have freedom to reach your highest potential. But tell me, Gus-san, if each man pursues his own dream, and nobody accepts responsibility for others, then what will become of our world?

"Is that not what is happening throughout the world now? Men and nations are grabbing everything that they can, regardless of how it affects others. What will happen when all of the weak are gobbled up and the strong turn on each other?"

"I see your point, Princess. And I'm afraid that I don't have an answer."

Gus shifted in his chair and leaned forward, "Princess, I do have a question. That man who led the bush rangers; do you think that he was working alone? Could there be more attacks?"

"I do not know. He was connected to the Japanese ambassador in some capacity. He was often at the castle."

Gus rubbed the stubble on his chin thoughtfully, "Then we should assume that we're not out of the woods yet. I need to send a telegram to Rutherford."**]**

**[**The Japanese Trade Delegation sits with their Australian counterparts. They are all drinking, laughing, and carousing. There are ladies moving freely among the men, flirting and sitting on laps.

The leader of the Japanese delegation is being fed grapes by a pretty blonde. A small oriental man, the same one who met Hiroji on the dock, comes into the room. The leader waves off the blond, but not before taking the bunch of grapes. The rat-faced little man moves over to him and whispers in his ear. The Japanese man's face becomes abruptly sober, then angry, and finally purposeful.

The camera focuses on his jeweled hand, which is crushing the grapes. The juice drips from in between his fingers.**]**

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** Lots of talk in this chapter, but necessary to the story. I am attempting, albeit with questionable success, to portray the difference in mindsets between the ancient kingdom and the fledging frontier. As is often the case, there is neither right nor wrong, there is only conflicting world views.

* The typical martial arts uniform that is most common today is called a gi.


	29. A Royal Resolve

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 29 – A Royal Resolve**

_Author's Note: This chapter will be devoted entirely to the movie. If you are not interested in that, then you may skip over this chapter with no fear of losing any of the KanaexHiou story._

**[**Gus and Angela ride their horses side-by-side down the dusty road. It is mid-day, but the clouds are darkening the sky, promising more rain.

"I appreciate you accompanying me, Miss Angela."

"You lost a lot of blood on that mountain yesterday, Mr. Bryant; or should I call you Officer Bryant?"

"Actually, I'd appreciate it if you'd call me Gus."

Angela looked at him, examining his face carefully, "And I suppose you'd like to call me Angela? But you call that girl 'Princess.'"

Gus chuckled pleasantly, "That's just because I can't wrap my tongue around yu-ee-ko very easily." He rode on for a little bit longer. "No, that's not true. If you stay around her for any time at all you start to feel like you're in the presence of royalty. She's just… different."

Angela looked at him crossly for a moment, and then her face became speculative, "Actually, I do understand. The prince is the same. You hang around him too long and you start feeling like you should bow whenever he walks in the room."

They both laughed companionably as they rode on.**]**

**["**Come out, Prince!" Euiko was standing outside of the sheep pen where Hiroji was working while Simon sat supporting his casted leg on another chair.

Hiroji looked at Simon, who only shrugged. She was calling out in her language and he didn't understand a word.

Hiroji walked around the corner to face Euiko. She was dressed traditionally now, her travelling silks tied to give her better freedom of movement. Her family sword was strapped to her waist.

"What do you need, Euiko-san?"

"I want to resolve this issue today. I will fight you. If I win, you will come back to Ryukyu with me. If you win, I will return alone and you can do whatever you wish."

Hiroji smirked, "Euiko-san, though I respect your skill, you know that you are no match for me with a sword."

"That may be, but I came here to do a job. I have wasted enough time on a spoiled, would-be prince. Take my challenge, Hiroji, upon the honor of our nation."

Thunder boomed and lightning flashed as they faced each other. Suddenly the rain started falling heavily, "Help me get Simon inside for now, Euiko-san. When this rain stops, you shall have your battle."**]**

**[**The rain was coming down hard as the two riders reached the edge of town. Suddenly Gus reached over to lay a hand on Angela's. He motioned for silence with his other hand. Then he gestured for her to follow him. Angela nodded and they rode around behind the telegraph office. As they dismounted Gus already had his revolver drawn. He looked cautiously around the corner and then turned back to Angela.

"There's a group of men pulling up in front of the saloon. I recognize one of them. He's, Patrick Flanagan, the boss of the Irish troublemakers in Melbourne. That German you shot worked for him."

While Angela was extracting her rifle, Gus continued to watch around the corner. "Ok, they're all inside now. I need to send that telegraph and we need to get back. If they see me, you ride out of here as fast as you can. I'd bet a fortune that they're heading for your farm."

Gus moved slowly and cautiously around the building until he was at the front corner. When he didn't see anybody, he holstered his weapon and tried to act nonchalant as he walked to the front door of the telegraph office.**]**

**[**_The scene switches to the telegraph operator. He is staring at the barrel of a gun held by a big, mean looking man, while another man sorts through the message log._

"He's tellin' the truth. Ain't no messages from here to Melbourne from that Bryant fella."

"Well, what do we do with him now?" He indicated the Telegraph operator.

Just then the bell on the door rang as the door swung open. Gus looked up just as both of the men swung their pistols towards him. He threw himself to the side even as he dragged at his weapon. The men fired first, one hitting the window and shattering glass; the other hitting the door and blasting a hole through it.

Gus had his weapon out, cursing his wounded arm even as he forced it to work for him. As one of the men stood at his full height to look for him, Gus fired and knocked the man backwards. The other man wrenched the telegraph operator out of his chair and pulled him in front as a body-shield. "Come out where I can see you or I'll blast this man's head off!"

Gus didn't move.

"Do it or he's a dead man!" The man demanded again.

"Ok, ok. Look, I don't know who you are or what you want, but I just came in here to mail a letter."

The big man snorted, "Nice try, officer. I know you're Gus Bryant. We've been watching you and that Chinee girl. You just drop that gun and step back. All we're here for is the Chinee boy and girl. You give us them and we'll leave you alone."

Gus was standing now, his weapon pointing down, "Now you know I can't do that."

"Suit yer'self," the big man said. His pistol left the operator's head and was moving towards Gus when there was the sound of glass shattering and gunfire. The big man's eyes clouded over and his pistol fell to the counter.

_The camera focuses on the window, where Angela's rifle is still smoking._

Gus yelled, "I thought I told you to ride!"

"Yeah, right. Just give Roger the telegram and let's go. I think the men at the saloon heard. Two of them just ran out."

Gus pulled out the paper and scribbled a few more words. "Send this to Police Commissioner Rutherford. We'll distract those men so they don't come in here. Send it right away, and then make yourself scarce."

Gus ran out and jumped on his horse that Angela had in readiness. "Go in front," he shouted through the rain, "Let them see us so they follow. We need to give him time to send the telegram."

They rode out into the open just as the men from the saloon jumped on their mounts. Gus fired a shot in the air to make sure that they saw him in the rain, and then he and Angela spurred their horses into a gallop.

Gus rode as close to Angela as he could safely get and shouted, "How good is your aim?"

"Very good."

"My arm's messing with my aim. We need to stop at a good spot and try to even the odds."**]**

**[**_Euiko, Simon, and John sit at the dining room table. The two stewarts both look like invalids; one with a large cast and the other with a wrapped shoulder. The rain is falling heavily and loudly outside. The atmosphere is tense as father and son regard the beautiful, forbidding looking young lady and the sword that rests on the table in front of her. _

_Hiroji steps out of the room he shares with Simon. He is dressed in the same fancy clothing that he wore on the day of his arrival in Australia. His sword is strapped to his side. He walks to the front door and looks out at the heavy rainfall. He walks to the table and lays his own sword parallel to hers. They stare at each other as father and son look at both of them. The rain continues to fall outside._**]**

**[**"Here!" Angela shouted and began to dismount. Gus followed suit and they moved behind the small hill she had chosen.

"I think this is the same place where the men ambushed us the other day," Gus shouted into the loud, heavy rain.

"Did you get a count? How many were there?"

"I think there were five. I'm going to move over to the other side of the road. I'll stay even with you so that we don't shoot at each other." They were shouting to make themselves heard, but they still heard the pounding of approaching hooves.

"Hurry!" Angela pushed sodden hair back from her beautiful face and brought the rifle up to her shoulder.

_Scene switches to five men riding through the rain. There is a loud rifle report and one of the men is picked off of his horse. The other four reach for their weapons. Patrick Flanagan signals for them to scatter and go around the hill in front of them. A second rifle shot shatters the day; this one grazes Flanagan's leg._

_Gus stands holding his revolver out with both hands, looking for targets. He hears a pounding of hooves towards his right and spins to see a dark figure materializing rapidly out of the rain. Both fire at the same time. Gus knocks the man off his horse but the man grazes his side._

_A man tries to flank Angela, but she jumps back as he passes. Even as she is taking aim at the retreating figure another rider comes at her from behind. Angela jumps back, stumbling and shooting at the same time. The horse is hit and both horse and rider go down._

_Gus, bleeding from his side and trying to find any opponent in the murky rain, hears a horse coming from his left and wheels to fire. Again, two men fire at the same time. Gus hears a horse squeal, and then horse and rider materialize out of the curtain of rain and fall to the earth almost at his feet._

_Patrick Flanagan, alone now, wheels his horse and rides away._

Angela ran over to Gus, who is holding his bleeding side, "How bad are you hurt, Gus?"

"Another flesh wound. You were magnificent, Angela."

Angela beamed as she moved to the big officer's side and leant him her shoulder.**]**

**[**The rainfall was tapering off outside. Hiroji stood and buckled his sword-belt. Euiko stood and followed suit. They both walked out onto the wooden porch as the rain became a drizzle. John helped his son out and guided him to a seat. He was about to sit himself when two horses galloped into view. John went and stood next to Hiroji and Euiko as he watched his daughter and Gus return.

Gus was leaning now, his side red with blood from the heavy riding. Angela jumped off her own mount to grab his reins, "He's been shot. Help me get him off his horse!"

Hiroji and Euiko moved in and helped the big man down. He was able to walk into the house with the assistance of Hiroji and Angela. Once they had him seated, Angela began dressing the wound.

"How did this happen?" Hiroji demanded.

"More men come to kill you, I think," Angela replied. Then she turned her focus back to Gus's wound.

Hiroji watched Gus grimacing from Angela's efforts. He turned and looked at John's bandaged shoulder and then Simon's casted leg. "Are there any more coming?"

Gus answered through his pain, "One got away. I doubt there'll be any more trouble today. We fought seven men. Angela got three; she was amazing. Picked one man off of his horse at 40 yards through the rain!" Angela smiled bashfully at his praise.

"Be quiet, I'm trying to dress the wound," she demanded with mock severity.

"Yes ma'am," Gus responded meekly, but with a grin.

Hiroji was no longer looking at them. He was looking into Euiko's pointed gaze. His face took on a look of firm resolve. "The rain is finished, Euiko-sensei," he said to her in their language, "I believe that we have an appointment."

Euiko bowed to him and the two walked out of the house.**]**

**[**_Hiroji faces Euiko on the same ridge where they argued earlier in the day. They bow to each other and lay hands on the grips of their swords. Suddenly the swords leap from their scabbards and clash together.  
Scene switches to John and Angela helping Gus to a seat on the porch. They all settle down to watch._

_Euiko slashes sideways but Hiroji parries. As her blade drags across his the blades sing and spark. Then he is swinging towards her back, but she gracefully turns and catches his blade, deflecting it and opening his body for her own thrust. Hiroji has to make a clumsy side-step to avoid the blow._

Hiroji grinned fiercely, "You've really improved, Euiko-chan."

Euiko scowled even as she tried to press her advantage, "Oh, so now we're friends again? You won't get out of this that easy, Prince."

Hiroji danced easily away from this second assault and this time it was Euiko who had to take hasty steps to stop her momentum. "I never stopped thinking of you as my friend, Euiko-chan. I just didn't want you as my teacher."

Euiko took two hop-steps forward, closing the gap and throwing off Hiroji's swinging strike, "Of course! You didn't want to be taught by a girl!"

"No! that's not it Euiko!" He was striking alternately low and high, causing her to move at his pace.

Euiko refused to be led. She made a spinning turn that brought her around to his side. He was so focused on his next strike that he almost couldn't block fast enough. "What's 'not it'?"

"I just didn't want _you_ to teach me!" Once again he had the advantage. Both of them were sweating in the humidity. Steam from the wet grass was rising around them, making their battle look almost supernatural.

"Why! What is wrong with me?" She swung high, but kicked at the same time, catching Hiroji's leg a glancing blow that forced him onto the unstable edge of the hillside.

"There's nothing wrong with you." He said as he made a sudden leap towards her, sword sweeping down. She had to crouch to block him, giving him the advantage of power. But he didn't capitalize on it. Instead he stepped back from her so that both could catch their breaths. "You've always been perfect."

Euiko was breathing heavily, "Then why wouldn't you let me teach you?"

Hiroji looked at her sadly, "Because that put you above me. I've always wanted you beside me, Euiko-chan."

She looked at him, her eyes wide with realization.

"I'll go back to Ryukyu. I don't want to see anyone else hurt because of me. I don't know what I can do, or if I can do anything. I'll try though. I will give honor to my Uncle. I'll even bow with my face to the floor and vow my undying loyalty to the baby. I only ask one thing of you."

"And what is that, Hiroji?"

"Stop being my teacher and start being my friend again. I will promise you to study until my eyes bleed if that is what it takes."

The rain started again as the two faced each other. Finally Euiko answered, "Then I agree, Hiroji-chan."

**

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**

**Notes:** I've been wondering when somebody was going to write something about all of the rain in this story. Some of you already know that the seasons are reversed in Australia. September through November is actually spring, the height of the rainy season. Sorry for not mentioning this sooner.

Another note for your general fund of useless knowledge: The year that this movie is set in is 1878. It was on January of this year that the first telephone was installed in Australia; in Melbourne, to be exact. Had this story taken place just a few more years in the future then Gus could have just phoned the commissioner.

My repeated use of the Irish as bad guys in this story is not a reflection of personal prejudice; I am half-Irish. I chose to use the Irish because there was a large unemployed Irish population during this period. That, by the way, _was_ partially due to prejudice. It was also due to the fact that most of the gold mines had played out and a lot of Irish prospectors were looking for ways to make a living (not always honestly).


	30. Perception is Reality

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 30 – ****Perception is Reality**

I mentioned in passing that a great movie involves the collaborative effort of everyone involved. The filming was done at the farm (there will be farm scenes in a later chapter), but they wouldn't leave until the director, effects artist, writers, etc. reviewed the film and decided if additional filming was needed.

Today would be a day off for the cast members. Well, not for everyone. One of Australia's premiere women's magazines had begged for a photo shoot and interview with Kanae and Erika. They would be picked up by plane and flown to Sydney for the day. Hiou was greatly disappointed, though he tried to maintain his mature persona in front of Kanae.

Andy had invited everyone to visit his family home on Lake Glenmaggie, near Heyfield. Hiou had imagined spending the day on the lake with Kanae. If he imagined her in a bathing suit, who could really blame him? When Kanae had accepted the modeling assignment he had felt slightly betrayed. He knew that was ridiculous, but the feeling persisted nonetheless. Still, he made a manly effort to hide his feelings.

Kanae could see through it now. Oddly, instead of dulling his appeal, it had the opposite effect. Whenever she saw his immature side slip through it reminded her of exactly how hard he was working to catch and hold her interest. She looked at his sullen face as he stood to the side and decided to speak to him.

"Hiou-chan, would you do something for me today?"

Hiou was startled, but happy to have an opportunity to serve, "Y-yes. What can I do?"

"Go with Andy and be a kid today. Don't try to act mature, just have fun. Try to outdo him. Show off. Flirt, if there are any pretty girls around."

Hiou frowned, feeling slightly rejected by her last request, "I don't understand."

"I know how you feel about me, Hiou, and I am deeply flattered." It was the first time she had spoken so openly about this to him, and he blushed. "I also know how hard you have been working to act and become mature. I've seen that too, and I appreciate it. Nobody has ever worked so hard for me."

Her honest, perhaps even affectionate look tugged at Hiou's heart strings. "Then… why are you asking me to act like a kid and flirt with girls?"

"Because, Hiou-chan, you _are_ a kid," she quickly held up a forestalling hand as he started to protest. "Being a kid isn't a bad thing. In fact it is one of the best times in a person's life. You will be a man very soon, Hiou. Until then, you should make the most of the little time that you have left as a kid. Go have fun; do it for me."

Looking deeply into her pleading eyes, Hiou could only nod.

* * *

Kanae had lived her entire life in Tokyo, Japan. With the exception of a few short trips for filming, she had remained there. Tokyo is one of the most crowded cities in the world. It was surprising to her just how empty and vast Australia was as she looked out of the airplane window.

Erika sat next to her, somehow pensive as she kept looking furtively at Kanae. Albert, sensing her desire to speak with Kanae, had taken the seat across the aisle. She started to speak, stopped herself. Again she tried… finally just when she was ready to say her peace, she stewardess made the announcement, "Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to begin our descent into Sydney. The captain had turned on the 'fasten seat-belts' sign…"

Kanae turned from the window and saw Erika's frustrated face and open mouth, "Is everything ok, Erika-san?"

Erika, flustered at her failure, regressed for a moment to her haughty self, "Of course, Kanae-san. I was just thinking that you haven't really done much modeling; whereas _I _am a veteran. So please accept my advice today so that the photo-session goes smoothly."

Kanae felt as if something was being left unsaid, but she simply responded, "Hai, sempai" (making a sincere effort to keep sarcasm out of her voice) and turned back to the window to catch her first view of Sydney.

* * *

Despite himself, Hiou was having a blast. He had never been water skiing before. At first he struggled to keep his balance and had a few spectacular spills; all caught on film, thanks to Andy. Andy was amazing on the water. His parents had owned this home on the lake since he was three, so he had spend years perfecting his skills. Not only could he do just about anything on skis, but he could also do jumps. He and his father had built and installed a floating ramp that he used over and over again to fly high in the air. Hiou wanted to try it, but both father and son told him that he would need to get much better at waterskiing before he tried jumps.

Andy's younger sister, Bridgette, and three of her very cute friends were also on the lake with the boys. Many other cast members were there, but the teens spent the day mostly to themselves. One of the girls, a cute redhead named Laura, had a very obvious crush on Andy. Bridgette, Marilynn, and Suzy focused all of their attention on the handsome young Japanese actor. Knowing that he was coming to visit, the girls had gone out and rented two martial-arts films that he had taken part in. By the time he arrived they had convinced themselves that he was the coolest teenaged boy alive.

All of the attention was indeed flattering to Hiou. Until this last year he had always been the "cute" runt. Girls might pat his head adoringly, but they had never flirted with him. But he really couldn't respond to any of them as a potential girlfriend. Sure, they were cute and all; but they couldn't hold a candle to the girl he was in love with. Andy had judiciously avoided making mention of Kanae to the girls, but he felt troubled for his friend.

In the afternoon, mostly in order to get a break from the adoring girls, Andy took Hiou to his favorite rock-climbing spot. Rock-climbing is all about focus and concentration. Although Hiou had never tried it before, he did know how to focus. He was able to keep up with Andy with little stress. The experience of reaching the top and gazing out over the flat landscape and the lake below was exhilarating.

They both sat down and enjoyed a companionable silence as they watched boats and jet-ski's ply the water below. Then Andy spoke, "Hiou, mate… we're friends, aren't we?"

Hiou looked over at Andy, visibly surprised at the question, "Of course, Andy. Why do you question that? Have I done something to offend you?"

"No-o-o… you see, as a friend… I feel that I need to say something that may offend you."

Hiou, because he was really only sensitive about one aspect of his life, guessed what Andy wanted to talk about, "Is this about Kanae?"

* * *

The photo-shoot had gone exceptionally well. The contrast of the two beautiful young ladies, one blonde and one with rich black hair, was perfect. The photographers capitalized on this further by producing an elegant kimono for Kanae and a black evening dress for Erika. The two looked spectacular, and before the photographer was done he had snapped twice the number of photos which he had intended.

After a personally guided tour of Sydney by the lady who owned the magazine, Kanae and Erika once again boarded the airplane. Kanae was pleased with the way that the day had gone. The photo-session was definitely enjoyable, albeit exhausting; but it was the way that Erika relaxed and acted _almost_ human that made it memorable. Perhaps their days as enemies were finally over.

Except now that they were sitting in their seats, waiting for take-off, Erika seemed tense and odd again. "Erika-chan, are you afraid of flying?"

Erika looked at her scornfully, "Of course not. I've been flying ever since I was born. Why would you ask such a silly question?"

"It's just that… well, you seem all tense again."

Erika, if anything, became more tense. The plane was rolling now and both girls leaned back as they left the ground and began the rapid ascent. Erika turned her head back to her former enemy and finally found her voice, "Kanae-san, you do know that it's against Australian air safety laws to attack another passenger while in the air, don't you?"

Kanae looked completely confused at the question, "Of course, Erika-san. It's the same everywhere. Why in the world…"

Erika interrupted, "Because I need to speak with you about Hiou."

* * *

"What did you want to say about Kanae, Andy?" Hiou's voice had lost much of it's friendliness.

"Look, mate, I know how you feel about her. And my guess is that she may feel a little of the same thing for you," Andy looked over at his friend before continuing. "The problem is, even if you win her heart and get her to start dating you, you will both lose."

* * *

"Why do you want to talk about Hiou, Erika-san?" Kanae was wary, unsure of where her former enemy wanted to take this topic.

"It's just this… when it was just Hiou chasing you around like a lovesick boy, it was… cute. But now I think that you're starting to return his feeling. Look, before you say anything, let me just say that I'm not the only one to notice; a lot of people have seen the way you look at each other."

Kanae wanted to deny everything and tell Erika to shut-up and mind her own business, but she couldn't.

"I think you know what the problem is. If the tabloids get a whiff of this, you'll be a laughing stock. Even worse, some twisted minds will try to turn it into something perverted. They won't care how mature Hiou is. They'll only say that he is a child and you are an adult. You will never be allowed to act again. All anyone will talk about, whenever they see either of you, is the scandal."

* * *

"Can't you see, Hiou? _Maybe_ some guys will think that you're cool because you managed to rope this gorgeous older woman. But you're going to destroy her mate. The woman you love will be laughed out of Tokyo. Or worse, they'll call her a pervert."

Andy studied Hiou's clouded, desperate face, "I think you can probably win her heart, Hiou. But you will end up destroying her life."

* * *

That night everyone returned to their hotel, exhausted from a day of fun and frolic. Almost everyone was chatting amiably. Two young people, however, were somber and withdrawn.

Kanae was outside in the botanical garden that graced the back of the hotel. She and Erika had arrived at the hotel thirty minutes before. Now she stood uncertainly in the cool of the evening. The bus that Director Shinai had chartered had driven past several minutes before. She knew that Hiou was on that bus and she dreaded seeing him.

Erika was right. She knew it was true; had known it all along. She wanted to deny what Erika had insinuated about her own feelings, but she knew the truth in that too. Uesugi Hiou, a fourteen year-old boy, had finally managed to do what no other man had been able to do. He had captured her heart. Oh, sure, it wasn't like she wanted to go out and get married to the boy tomorrow or anything… but she did want to see him, to be around him; as ridiculous as that sounded. But to give in to her feelings would be to throw away everything that she had worked for. On top of that, the scandal would destroy Hiou's career as well.

She sensed his presence in the garden before she saw him. In fact, he was walking so slowly that it took several minutes before he turned the corner of the path and appeared ten feet away. He stopped and looked across the short space to meet Kanae's eyes. Neither spoke. Somehow both knew, though how they knew, neither would ever be able to say afterward.

It is a rare and a sad thing when you are able to actually witness the moment that innocence is lost, and a child takes that first, un-retractable step into adulthood. Despite all that Hiou had done to act the part, he had not truly taken that step until this very moment. He bowed deeply to the woman he loved, saying simply, "Kotonami-san, have a good evening." And then he turned and walked back the way that he had come.

Kotonami Kanae felt all of the energy drain out of her. Feeling somehow lost and hopeless, she slumped down to the bench that sat there among the flowers. She stayed there until there was no hint of sun left in the sky.

Tired, lifeless, and feeling ten times her age, Kanae arrived at her hotel room door and inserted her key-card. Her foot came in contact with a sheet of paper as she closed the door and she listlessly bent over to pick it up. It was written in English, and it read:

Could I halt the march of time for you and spur it  
on for me, I'd sacrifice five years of breath  
to stand there next to thee. To smell your  
scent, to hear your voice, mayhap to  
hold your hand, I'd give away  
the turns of glass, what  
means so little  
sand?  
But I  
am powerless  
to shift, the hands that  
move apace, I must content to  
gaze on you, and despise that other  
face. Yet having failed this errant quest  
I make this humble plea, 'till I run my race  
to childhood's end, oh won't you wait for me?

(Note: the poem above is supposed to be centered, creating an hourglass shape. For some reason is keeps reverting to flush-left. Sorry)

While she still held the precious sheet of paper gingerly in front of her, Kanae finally allowed herself to cry. Only her tears were not the tears of sorrow.

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** Please don't hate me for injecting reality into the situation. There are too many scandals with adults and young teens in the news today. I did not wish to contribute in any way to the problem. But before you write off the story, please read on until the end. I believe that you will be satisfied.

Lake Glenmaggie, in the Victoria province of Australia, is supposed to be one of the more beautiful and popular places for waterskiing. From the picture on the net, it definitely looks like a place I'd love to spend some time.

To clarify several misunderstandings: Yes, I wrote "Hiou's Plea" (the hourglass poem). If I may play teacher for a moment: In the poem above, the "hands that move apace" are the hands of a clock; while the "other face" is the face of the clock. I hope that the rest makes sense. You should recognize the shape and the reference to "glass" and "sand" in my poem. "Errant" means "journey," which is what the knight errants went on to fulfill their quests.


	31. A Necessary Deception

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 31 - A Necessary Deception**

The atmosphere was noticeably cool the next day. There were a few re-shoots in the morning and then the cast was loaded on buses for the trip to Melbourne City Studios. Throughout the day, with the exception of courtesies, Hiou and Kanae only spoke to each other when necessary for filming.

Erika had been correct when she said that others had noticed the growing affection between the two co-stars. People had different views on the matter; some found the whole matter to be entertaining; others had stronger, less favorable reactions. Everyone had chosen to remain silent on the matter lest the scandal harm the movie project. Whatever the individual reaction, there was a collective sigh of relief when the relationship showed signs of cooling.

Despite appearances, Erika and her cousin Andy had never talked to each other before they each spoke their concerns. For Andy it was simple. He named both Hiou and Kanae among his friends and he wanted to protect them. For Erika it was more complicated. Even before her feelings toward Kanae had changed, she had not wanted a scandal to taint her raven-haired rival. At first she wanted to prove that she could defeat her rival through her acting. Then she became afraid that the scandal would taint the movie. But in the end it was her tentative friendship with her former enemy that made her decide to confront her. Simply put, she saw something pure and innocent in Kanae's affection for Hiou, and she didn't want to see the tabloids turn it into something ugly.

That is why the cousins were confused this morning. When Andy had said goodbye to Hiou the younger teen had been withdrawn and conflicted. The same was true when Erika said good night to Kanae; though the raven-haired girl was much harder to read. But today the two were acting as if there never had been any sort of relationship. Moreover, they were acting as if everything was fine.

All that was left to the cousins, then, was to watch and see what the final weeks of filming would bring. Neither of them saw the occasional secret smiles on the co-star's faces. Nor did Andy notice how often Hiou's hand drifted to his pocket.

**[**Patrick Flanagan was standing behind his bar in the early morning when Officer Roland Wheeler came into the bar. "Well now, how are you Roland?"

Roland, looking stressed and worried, walked up to the bar owner uneasily, "Rutherford's gone and sent a whole mess of police officers over to that Stewart farm. Adams is leading them."

"If the good sergeant is in charge, then why aren't you there with him, boyo?" Flanagan glared at the young police officer angrily.

"I was told to stay behind. Do ya' think they suspect me?" He glanced around nervously.

"Well, now, let's see. You did just walk straight through the front door of my establishment in broad daylight. How could they possibly suspect you?" He looked with disgust on the man as he shrank from Flanagan's sarcasm. "_You_ get to go tell the Japanese gentleman."**]**

**[**The Stewarts, Hiroji, Euiko, and Gus were sitting down to dinner when they heard the thunder of many hooves approaching. Everyone looked determined as Angela, Hiroji, and Euiko started passing out rifles. John helped Simon to a window and handed him a rifle. Gus stepped out to watch the approaching party.

"It's all right," Gus said after squinting into the early evening sun to make out the faces, "Sergeant Adams is leading. The Melbourne Police are here in force!"

Adams pulled up as Gus stepped off of the porch, "You look like hell, Gus."

"I'm glad to see you too, Sergeant," He greeted several others.

The Stewarts, Hiroji and Euiko came out of the house looking relieved. "Sergeant Adams," Euiko said brightly, "It is a pleasure to see you again."

The big man flushed slightly, "Good evening to you, Princess. I hear you were able to find the Prince?"

"Yes. Please allow me to introduce Prince Mobutu Hiroji."

Hiroji stepped forward and bowed, "I am pleased to meet you, Sergeant. Thank you for helping my friend." His tone of voice had a sense of possession to it.

Sergeant Adams raised an eyebrow, but nodded his head politely before dismounting. He turned to the fourteen men who were with him, "Take care of your horses and then we'll see if we can impose on Mr. Stewart for something cool to drink." He looked over at John Stewart, who nodded in acknowledgement.

As his men moved off, he turned back to the group on the porch, "Rutherford sent us. We need to talk."**]**

**[**Sergeant Adams raised an eyebrow in question when Simon and Angela sat down with the adults at the table.

"They've earned the right to be involved," Gus answered the sergeant's unasked question. "I'd take these two over any ten of our men, any day." Simon beamed and Angela looked haughtily into Adams'

Adams looked over at Euiko and Hiroji. "There's a Japanese delegation in Melbourne right now. They're supposed to be here to buy wool, but their leader seems awful interested in you two."

"Is he the man who sent the men after us?" Hiroji asked.

"We can't say for sure, Prince." He turned to Euiko, "Princess, do you remember the officer who leant you his horse?"

Euiko nodded.

"Well it seems that he's been selling information to Flanagan and his bunch," Euiko looked confused, but Gus furnished the answer.

"He's the man who's been furnishing all the hired guns for your Japanese friends. He was with the group that attacked Angela and I yesterday. He owns a bar in Melbourne."

Simon chipped in, "He's the one who had his men chasing you on the day we met, Hiroji."

Hiroji's eyes went wide, "Yes, I remember him. It was his German friend who led the men working for Furusawa."

Adams nodded, "That's him. Anyway, he's still working with the other Japanese man, so I think you can count on more trouble. Tell me, Prince, are you planning on returning home?"

"Yes, I have decided that it would be best." The Stewarts all looked sad.

"Well, we're going to have to find a way to sneak you and the princess onto a ship. Rutherford's pretty sure that they have all of the docks staked out, watching for you."

Simon looked over at Hiroji, "Would you be willing to give up your fancy duds to get you and the princess home safely?"

Hiroji looked at him speculatively, "Of course."

"Then I think that I have a plan."**]**

**[**Gus sat back on his chair on the Stewarts' porch and enjoyed the cool of the evening. He didn't turn as he heard the door open. Angela stepped out and stood by the steps, looking up at the stars.

"You're going to miss him?" Gus asked, looking up at the beautiful blonde.

"Yeah. But Dad's right; it'd be wrong to try to keep him here. In the end he'd be less than he could be, and should be."

Gus didn't look at her when he spoke again, "I know that you're a capable woman, Angela, but please be careful tomorrow."

Angela looked grim, "You just get those two to their ship, Gus. I'll be just fine. I guess I won't be seeing much of you once you go back to Melbourne?"

"I… I've been thinkin' on applying for the policeman position in your little town." Gus watched her closely to gauge her reaction.

She turned and looked down at the big, handsome man, "I'd like that."**]**

**[**"I don't like that it should be you, my friend," Hiroji said earnestly to Simon, "You're leg is still in a cast. If anything should go wrong…"

The two teen-aged boys were outside, leaning against a fence that held the sheep in.

"Now don't you be trying to steal away my adventure, mate. Things were boring until you showed up. Now that you're going, it'll be boring again. I can handle myself."

Hiroji turned to face Simon, "I shall truly miss you, my friend."

Euiko called out from the house, "Prince, we must make ready."

Hiroji reached out his hand and grasped Simon's tightly. "May your name always be honored in your home, Simon. And may your children's children's children remember your deeds."

"The same for you, Hiroji. We will always remember you."**]**

**[**In the pre-dawn Sergeant Adams led his police force away from the farm. The prince and the princess could be seen sitting inside of the carriage that was transporting them back to Melbourne.**]**

**[**It was very late in the evening when the road weary group rode briskly into Melbourne. The officers were alert and ready for anything. Although the streets seemed crowded with suspicious looking character, the group passed through the neighborhoods unmolested.

The scene ends with the stagecoach pulling into a fenced yard in front of a large, wealthy looking home. The camera shows the back of an observer who is standing across the street. From his vantage the camera shows the two royals climbing out of the dusty wagon to be greeted by Commissioner Rutherford.**]**

**[**_At a secluded table in Flanagan's Saloon sits Flanagan, the Japanese man, Roland Wheeler, and another of Flanagan's toughs_.

"I don't know what else I can do," whined Wheeler. "I've got people watching Rutherford's house day and night. Those two haven't tried to leave since they arrived a week ago. We can't exactly barge into the Police Commissioner's house and yank them out!"

Flanagan was about to yell at the turncoat policeman when the Japanese man spoke, "Mr. Flanagan, am I to understand that you have connections throughout your city's government?"

"Aye."

"Well then, I think that we may have a way to force the two young people out into the open." His grin was malevolent as he took a puff from his cigar.**]**

**[**_The scene opens to a fancy door in set in a stylish foyer. There is a steady and insistent knocking at the door. A lady in a maid's uniform appears and answers the door._

_A rotund, official looking man steps in and demands an audience with Rutherford._

Police Commissioner Rutherford stepped into the foyer, "Why, if it isn't the Provost Marshal! How have you been, Frank?"

The marshal looked uncomfortable, "Commissioner Rutherford, I've come on official business."

Rutherford laid a friendly arm on the man's shoulder, "You look plum worn out, Frank. Why don't you come in, have a seat, and let my wife Emily get you something to drink?"

"Please! Look Rutherford, I have an official writ here from the Minister of State. You have two fugitives from justice living in your home. They are officially recognized by the Government of Japan as fugitive criminals. Now, you know we're in the middle of delicate trade negotiations with Japan right now. I need you to turn the two youngsters over to me."

Rutherford eyed the short, round man with amusement, "Tell me, Frank, what are the names of these supposed 'fugitive criminals'?"

The marshal was clearly flustered by Rutherford's attitude. He opened up his satchel an extracted the writ, "There, you see here? Those two names… Her-a-ja and Ee-o-u-ko." He looked smugly at Rutherford.

"Why, Hiroji and Euiko haven't ever been to my house, Frank. Feel free to walk around and see for yourself. From what I understand, they should be in the China Sea by now, heading home."

The provost marshal pushed past Rutherford and walked into the sitting room of the house. There, comfortably seated and playing cards, were Simon, Angela, and Rutherford's two daughters. Mrs. Rutherford was sitting comfortably in her favorite chair, thumbing through a ladies magazine. "Why, if it isn't Frank. You should have warned me that you were coming and I would have saved out dinner."

The marshal rounded on Rutherford, "Are you telling me the truth, Commissioner?"

All friendliness was gone from Rutherford's eyes now, "Frank, we've known each other since we were both young police officers. That's why I'm going to pretend that you didn't just call me a liar in my own house and in front of my family and guests. I am telling the truth. I don't care what somebody 'thinks' they saw, those two fine young people were never in my home. More's the pity, since I really wanted my wife and daughters to meet them. Now, since you obviously didn't come to my house to socialize, I'll escort you to the door."

After the door closed, Rutherford rejoined everyone in the sitting room. "Well, that's done. We've given our royal friends a week's head start. Now, as much as it saddens me to say it, it is probably time that we send you two home to help your father." Rutherford lifted a hand to stay the protests of his own daughters, "now that doesn't mean that I don't ever want to see you again. Simon, you're idea to disguise yourselves as our royal friends was brilliant. I really want you to consider a job with the force… besides, I think my daughters wouldn't mind seeing you again."

"DAD!" "Father!" The two girls reddened and glared at their father to hide their embarrassment.

Rutherford ignored their protests, "I think that it would best if I had someone escort the two of you back home; just for safety's sake, mind you. I know! How about Augustus Bryant? He seems to find all manner of excuses to stop by anyway."

This time it was Angela's turn to blush.**]**

**[**_The closing scene of the movie shows a three-masted ship warping into the harbor of the Ryukyu capital. Mobutu Hiroji and Hishida Euiko stand at the prow of the ship, watching the castle that is set prominently on the hillside. Both young people are dressed in clothing borrowed from the Stewarts in order to be less noticeable. They are still wearing their swords. Hiroji reaches over and gently takes Euiko's hand. As they sail into the busy harbor, a message appears on the screen. It reads:_

In 1879 the Japanese Emperor, impatient with the  
progress being made in controlling Ryukyu,  
dissolved the Ryukyu government altogether.

The Royal family and the nobility were not slain,  
but neither were they allowed any power.  
Ryukyu was re-named Okinawa, after the main island.

The noble families received a stipend for another ten years.  
After that they were allowed no more status than  
the people who they once governed.

Eventually this noble line, along with the tradition  
and history of their kingdom, drifted into obscurity.

* * *

There is something anticlimactic and almost sad about the final filming for a movie. For actors on the stage, there is a definite finishing point, where everyone comes on stage and bows before the applauding audience. But in film things never seem to reach that crystalline point of finality. There is always the need for last minute out-takes and retakes, voice-overs and film-overs. As each actor finishes his or her part, they usually leave to pursue other projects. The end is much more of a whimper than a roar.

As luck would have it, Kanae, Hiou, Andy, and Erika were together until the very end. In the morning they would part and go their separate ways, only to return together in order to promote the opening night. But for this particular afternoon, they were free. It was Andy, ever the live-wire, who suggested that they go together for a nice meal. The others, even Erika, promptly accepted.

Albert Foss, naturally, also came along. Even as the filming was drawing to an close, Erika had not considered bringing back her other three sycophantic men-servants. Foss, on the other hand, was slowly but surely becoming much more than just a servant and bodyguard to her. Even more remarkable, at least to her, was the way that the others seemed to accept, welcome, and even like the young man. Erika was still not sure herself how she felt about him.

As luck would have it, and perhaps with a little bit of ulterior motive, Andy was able to get a table at the Smokehouse Restaurant. This was the restaurant where Hiou had celebrated his birthday and received his first kiss. Now Andy wanted to know what was really going on between his two friends.

After a friendly and relaxed dinner, Kanae and Erika left to "powder their noses," flanked, of course, by Foss. Andy could wait no longer, "Ok, Hiou my friend, truth-time. How does it stand with you and Kanae?"

Andy watched Hiou's hand unconsciously reach down and touch his pocket as the Japanese boy tried to dissemble, "How about we start with you telling me what's in your pocket? You must touch it at least five times a day."

Hiou started to express a denial, but something told him that Andy's friendship was too important to him to allow a lie to damage it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He handed it to Andy.

Andy opened it carefully but anxiously; then he snorted. "Hiou, I don't read Japanese."

Hiou looked startled for a moment and then took the paper back. He opened it gingerly, perhaps even reverently. "After you and I spoke, it was agreed that I would not pursue Kotonami Kanae until I was an adult. I wrote her a poem, asking her to wait for me. This is her reply:

I will wait to see  
what manner of man you become  
and if you still want me

Andy looked at Hiou silently for a long time. Finally he said, "That's a long time, my good friend."

Hiou sighed, "Yes, it is. But as you once said, 'she is worth the splinters.'"

**

* * *

**

**Notes:** By basing the plot of the movie within a very real and well-recorded time in history, I bound myself to approach the subject honestly. The information provided in the closing scene is as accurate as my limited research could make it. It is therefore up to the reader (or movie viewer) to imagine the rest of Hiroji and Euiko's story.

The movie is complete, and we are nearing the end of this story. I sincerely hope that you have been enjoying it, and that the ending will satisfy.


	32. The years well spent

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 32 - The years well spent**

True love between a man and a woman should not be about one leading and the other following. Nor should true love only be about finding the perfect person. True love should also be about making yourself into the best possible person. True love should also be about encouraging the other person to reach his or her full potential.

Hence, Hiou's long march to adulthood, while it might have seemed endless to him, was probably the best thing that could have ever happened to him. How many young teens do you know who already have a solid goal to work for, and are determined to work as hard as necessary to reach that goal? Maybe a lot of young men could benefit from a Kotonami Kanae in their lives. Not that Kanae didn't benefit as well.

Perhaps it is better if I let the story do the explaining. Following is a series of short looks into the lives of our two heroes over the six year period.

**A Wedding Dress**

Kanae still couldn't believe that she was on an airplane to the United States with Aiko Mari and Takarada Maria. She had barely arrived back in Tokyo when Julie-san called, "I'm paying for your ticket, Kanae-chan. You just make sure that all three of you are on that plane. I'm shanghaiing Kyoko from her shoot in Nepal. Amamiya is already here in California. We'll all go together from there."

"You're amazing, Julie-san."

"Hey! What happened to Okaa-san? And of course I'm amazing. Sigh! It's just so hard to be so perfect."

Kanae found herself giggling like a little girl. Julie-san could always make her laugh.

"And once you're here you can tell me all about your love-life. Tata for now, Kanae-chan."

* * *

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we will be landing in JFK International Airport in twenty minutes. The captain has turned on the _Fasten Seat-belts_ sign…"

Kanae looked across the aisle where Kyoko was sitting next to Julie, with Maria-chan sleeping against her arm. When she had finally seen her best friend last night there had been this awesome sense of relief and peace. Everything that had happened in Australia, and everything that was happening within herself, seemed to be less overwhelming with Kyoko there. It was an odd feeling, just knowing that she had a friend who loved her unconditionally.

On her last visit Kanae had refrained from telling Kyoko about the abduction, for fear of how it would worry her. Now that time had passed they had been able to talk on into the night in the spacious Hizuri mansion. Kyoko was also the only person who she had told about her developing feelings for Hiou, and their private correspondence. As she had expected, Kyoko gave her full support for whatever Kanae decided to do.

Four hours after landing in New York City, in the bridal boutique that claimed to have the largest selection in the world, Kyoko modeled "just one more dress." The ladies all gasped in awe.

Kanae had a suspicious hint of moisture in the corners of her eyes as she said, "We are _not_ letting Tsuruga-san see you in that before the wedding. It wouldn't be safe."

Her friend was unbelievably beautiful at that moment. Kanae just wished she would stop seeing herself in a wedding dress. Regardless of what happened in the end, she knew that she would not be wearing one anytime soon.

**Opening Nights**

Although it was originally meant to be a Japanese film for a Japanese audience, _Runaway Royalty_ had taken on a life of its own. Director Shinai, ever the marketing powerhouse, had capitalized on the elevation of Erika into a leading role. Much was made of the fact that the two girls who had known each other since childhood would now be starring together.

Because of his promotional efforts and the impact of their magazine and talk-show appearances there would now be an opening night for the movie in both Japan and Australia. Clips and previews had flooded the internet. Advertisements appeared on every channel in both countries. People were clamoring to see the movie.

The only sad note was that two of the people Kanae wanted to see the most would not be there. Kyoko was stuck back in Nepal, and Renate DeGarmo was tied down with a time-sensitive case. She did promise to make a visit as soon as she could.

The Japanese critics wrote that "Kotonami Kanae and Uesugi Hiou portrayed all that was rich and beautiful about our ancient culture (completely ignoring how the story made the Japanese look like the bad guys). They also were extremely complimentary of their acting. "Japan should sit up and take notice. There are two new, powerful young actors who are destined to make their marks in Japanese film. Bravo!"

The Australian critics, although enamored with Kanae and Hiou, focused most of their attention on Erika Kouenji, Andy Hammond, and Neil Grant. "They portrayed the rough-and-ready, never-say-die fighting spirit that characterized Australia's frontier days and has shaped who we are as a country and people today."

So the movie that had been intended as Hiou and Kanae's debuts became the debut for four young people. In the years that followed, no matter how many other successful roles each person played, people could still be heard to say, "Oh, yeah! I remember! That's __________ from _Runaway Royalty_!"

See what good a little rivalry can do?

**Hiou's Pleas**

Despite their unspoken agreement not to go to public places together, Hiou was pestering her to let him escort her to Kyoko's wedding. It was ridiculous; there would be over one-thousand people there, and it would be televised! Still, he persisted.

"Please, Kotonami-san?! I'll be on my best behavior. Besides, nobody else has asked you yet."

Kanae glared at Hiou. It irritated her that she had to look up to do it. He just kept growing. "That's just because you keep scaring them off."

"Just this one event? I'm her friend too, you know."

"I thought that you called her 'the demon-girl'."

"That was a long time ago." Hiou didn't remind Kanae that he had been pumping Kyoko for ideas on how to win the ladies heart for months.

"Hiou-chan, there's a five year's difference in our ages."

"What's it going to matter in twenty years? Women live longer than men anyways. And besides, think of me as your foil."

"What?"

"Sure. You said that you were too focused on your career to worry about romance. You go to the wedding with me and you won't have to worry about being chased by men your age."

"What about _you_ chasing me?"

"I'll wait. You're worth waiting for."

"Mo! Ok, I'll go with you to the wedding. But don't you dare announce that I'm your girl the way you did in Australia."

"I promise."

**An Army of Rivals**

There is an old song that spells out Hiou's dilemma with incredible accuracy. It begins with the words, "When you're in love with a beautiful woman, you watch their eyes…" He wanted to act mature and self-confident, he really did… but he also wanted to demonstrate his martial arts skills on about two-hundred men at Kyoko and Ren's wedding. Sure, she was beautiful. But did they have to stare at her!

And then there was that "Mr. Handsome Dan" glass-wearing manager of Tsuruga-Ren's, Yashiro Yukihito. Kanae had explained that the best man always escorted in the first bridesmaid. He understood that it was necessary… But did the guy have to look so _happy_ about it?! And did he have to keep snatching glances at her?

Andy, at Kanae's bidding, had placed himself next to Hiou in case intervention was needed. Andy had been enormously pleased by the invitation. He had only met Kyoko those three times, and Ren only twice. But Kyoko's explanation was simple. "You are best friends with my good friend and a good friend to my best friend; and the last time you were here we were friendly. That makes you my friend." (Ok, let's call it Kyoko-style simple).

"You need to breathe, mate. I'd be willing to bet you have that little note in your pocket. Just remember what it says. If you lose it here and disrupt Kyoko's wedding, Kanae will never speak to you again."

Like a bucket of cold water, Andy's forthright words cooled him down. They both stood as the music began and each couple walked down the aisle. He only glared a little-bit when Yashiro escorted Kanae down the aisle. While it was undeniably true that he had never seen Kyoko looking so beautiful, it was the dark-haired girl who had preceded her who still had most of his attention.

When Tsuruga Ren's uncle played his song, it wasn't Kyoko who Hiou saw walking down the aisle in his mind's eye.

**The Color of a Belt**

Martial Arts can become addictive. Unlike many athletic arts, the focus of martial arts is as much focused on long-term health and growth as it is on short-term competitions. At least, that made for a handy excuse for Kanae to appear at least twice weekly at the Uesugi Dojo to continue her training.

She also had a goal in mind. She was going to wear the same color belt as Hiou. Her natural competitiveness would not be satisfied until she was also entitled to wear the black. She knew that it would take years of serious work to achieve her goal. But lately years, at least the next few, had taken on a different significance.

If Hiou was going to focus his mind and body on becoming somebody worthy of notice, then why shouldn't she?

**Commencement**

Kanae sat on the theater seats with the Uesugis, less one, among the gathered crowd and waited for the ceremony to begin. She had finally conceded this particular competition, although she did feel a little miffed that Hiou had snuck around for half a year before she found out. But today it didn't matter to her who got there first.

Once all of the necessary individuals were on stage the music began and everyone stood. With a last name of Uesugi, it was a long wait. And finally, there he was, walking forward one slow step at a time. Six years had seen Hiou become a medium height, muscular young man who was undeniably handsome (especially with that devilish grin of his). Uesugi Emiko grabbed Kanae's hand with one hand and her husband's with the other as Hiou walked up the right hand side of the stage and waited his turn.

"Graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Film Arts, Uesugi Hiou." Hiou bowed, shook the Dean's hand, and took his degree. Even though she would earn her own B.A. in Film Arts in six months, she doubted whether she would be prouder than she was now.

In his younger years, Hiou had never wanted to study. But in the last six years he had not only accelerated his high school education, graduating two years early, but he had been accepted to, and earned a degree from one of the toughest universities in the world.

Kanae would be twenty-five when she finished her degree. Truthfully, she had never given her college education a lot of thought. Until, of course, a certain pesky young man threw down the gauntlet and announced that, "I will be _properly_ educated and must consider my options carefully." As usual, Hiou knew exactly the right words to say to spur Kanae on.

Of course, when it was her turn to congratulate him she informed him that _she_ had straight A's, which would mean that her final G.P.A would be higher than his. Hiou, with a twinkle in his eye, promised that he would find _something_ to distract her during the next six months.

At his graduation party that evening he pulled her aside to produce that _something_ in private. When she saw what was in his hands, she had to agree that she might be a little distracted after all.

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**Notes:** No, the story isn't over yet. But it will be very soon. I hope that this chapter wasn't too confusing.


	33. The never-ending wardrobe change

**Runaway Royalty**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.

The history of the Ryukyu Kingdom is true, but the plot of the movie is entirely fictional.

**Chapter 33 – The never-ending wardrobe change**

As soon as Kenji saw who was standing at the door he yelled, "Moko-sama!" and launched himself across the room and into her arms. Nanami, who had been folding origami at the dining room table, was already in motion and hurtling across the room before poor Kanae had regained her balance.

She knelt down, with little Kenji still wrapped around one side, to receive her god-daughter. Even though she had always been irritated by her own nieces and nephews, she could never be stern with these little four year-old bundles of energy.

"I'm in the kitchen, Moko-san!" Somehow, despite eight years of acting acclaim, Kanae always thought that Kyoko looked most right in the kitchen. Maybe it was because she had never seen a layman who could work the culinary miracles that Kyoko could. _Someday she just has to have her own cooking show._

"Now you two be careful with your god-mother. She has a big day tomorrow and we don't want her hurt." Nanami beamed in response; she had talked non-stop about her own part in tomorrow's ceremony. Kenji, on the other hand, had a frown on his face as he stalked off into the front room.

Kyoko watched him go and laughed softly, "Poor little man. You really need to stop stealing little boy's hearts, Moko-san."

Kanae scowled, but she couldn't hold it, "Mo! As if one wasn't enough. I'll take him out for a tayoki* after dinner."

Kyoko slid the vegetables she had been slicing into the steam pot. After she had rinsed and wiped her blade, she set it down and hugged her dear friend. "Nervous?"

"More about the wardrobe changes than anything else. Four changes! Can you believe that? What am I, a dressing dummy?"

Kyoko had a tear in the corner of her eye as she took a long look at her friend, "You'll look beautiful in everything, Moko-san. You know, I only started giving him advice to make your life easier in Australia. And here we are now…"

"Don't you start crying too! I've barely seen my mom in the last ten years and all she does when she practices her part is cry!" Kyoko listened sympathetically, but she knew the truth. Uesugi Emiko had personally hunted Kanae's parents down and read them the riot act. It was hard for Kyoko to visualize that perfect little Japanese doll chewing anybody out. But whatever she had done, it had worked. Kanae's parents had been almost too involved in her life in the last four months. And despite her protests otherwise, Kanae was grateful to Emiko.

There was a ruckus at the front door. This time is was Nanami who yelled, "Uncle Hiou!" Instead of greeting Hiou, Kenji ran back into the kitchen and latched onto Kanae's leg.

Ren and Hiou came around the corner. Hiou had little Nanami safely mounted on his broad shoulders. Ren looked morose. "She used to greet _me_ first. Instead she runs to the man who just spent two hours beating me up."

Nanami responded to this by launching herself backwards towards her father's arms. Just like most kids her age, she had the absolute confidence that her father would be there to catch her. Despite sore muscles he reacted quickly enough. Disaster averted, he made his manners, "Hello Kanae-chan. Do you think that you could do something about calming down this savage beast? I don't think I can take another training session like that."

Kanae chuckled, "I would counsel him right now, but I have this growth on my leg." Kenji looked around Kanae's leg and scowled at Hiou.

Hiou smiled back, "Sorry, Kenji, she won't even consider you until you're twenty." He looked at Kyoko, "He still hasn't forgiven me, huh?"

"You're just lucky Maria-chan never taught him any voodoo charms. Come her Kenji, and stop mauling poor Moko-san." She pulled the unhappy boy away, "Nanami, why don't you take Uncle Hiou and Moko-sama to see the swan's you've been folding?"

Nanami smiled, wiggled herself out of her father's arms, dropped to the floor, and dragged the powerful young man away by his finger. Ren chuckled as he watched them go. "I need to take some pointers from my daughter on how to handle that boy."

Kyoko, still holding a squirming Kenji, stretched up and kissed her husband, "I thought you were the big tough fighter when you were younger. Is he really _that_ good?"

"Let's just say that I'm glad I never met him on the streets in my bad old days. But he's helping me get ready for my part." He reached out and took the little boy who looked so much like he had at the same age. "Temper runs in the family, young man. You and I have to talk about how to control it."

They walked into the dining room just as Hiou, holding something that looked more like crumpled paper than a swan, spoke to Nanami, "I'll tell you what, my dear girl. If you'll teach me how to make one of those paper swans, I'll tell you a story about how this beautiful older woman chased me all around the world for six years. I finally just had to give up and say yes."

"Mo! Don't go filling the poor girl's head with lies, or I'll figure out a way for _you_ to wear four different outfits tomorrow."

Kyoko had to become a character to make it though the next day with Kanae without crying. She and Erika were to be her attendants throughout the ceremony. In the last six year Erika had spent most of her time in Australia, where her name and face was recognized in most households. Of course, the name Foss is much easier for a western tongue to pronounce than Kouenji.

Kanae and Hiou had chosen a contemporary Japanese wedding, which is a combination of Japanese and western traditions. Throughout the three-hour ceremony Kanae was dressed and redressed, appearing in a total of four different outfits. It began with a white kimono, signifying Kanae's purity. The closest twenty family members and friends were all who could fit into the ceremony room. The rest watched this portion of the ceremony on large screens in adjoining rooms

Kanae's father proudly escorted his beautiful daughter into the room and up to the tea table. Kanae was painted white from head to toe. Her raven hair was done up in a bun on the top of her head, and her hair held an array of jeweled pins. She also wore a special head-peace which looked like a hook; it covered two golden horns. The head-peace symbolized an absence of jealousy and a promise of obedience. When Hiou made a comment on this she reminded him that she also carried a small sword in her obi belt as part of the outfit. He wisely refrained from further comment.

To one side of the couple sat the Uesugis; to the other sat the Kotonamis. Nine cups of saki sat on the table. Each person sipped from the first three, which symbolized the three couples. Each person sipped from the second three, which symbolized the 3 human flaws: hatred, passion, and ignorance. Finally, each sipped from two of the final cups, signifying the Ku (lucky number 9) and Do (deliverance from the three flaws).The final cup signifying the hope of a long and happy marriage, was then shared.

Then the couples stood so that a minister could lead the two in their vows and they could exchange rings. They had originally intended for little Kenji to be the ring-bearer, but thought better of it. As Hiou slipped the ring on Kanae's finger she thought of the Kanji inscription inside.

Because of your smile  
the morning sun climbs in the sky  
and my heart knows joy

Six years before he had captured her attention with those simple little haikus. Now he had won her heart with his words all over again.

Lost in her momentary reverie, she didn't hear the minister's final words. But Hiou certainly did. With a tenderness at odds with his strength, he pulled Kanae to him and gave her the kiss that had been waiting on his lips since the night of his fourteenth birthday. And this time the kiss meant everything.

Everyone was gathered together now for the reception. Nanami moved around the room passing out origami swans. Takarada Lory, the master of ceremonies (who else?) encouraged everyone to take a seat for the _nakado _ceremony. The large room suddenly went dark, and then pink lights came on as a fog poured in around a trellis-type arch. Kyoko and Andy stepped through the arch, each moving to one side and turning to wave in the happy couple. Kanae was in her second outfit now, a brocade kimono to symbolize a long and stable life together. Everyone clapped and cheered.

The _nakado_ couple is defined as the matchmaker couple. Since Kanae and Hiou agreed that no two people did more to bring them together, Kyoko and Andy were the obvious choices.

Despite their best efforts to keep their feelings secret over the long years, those who were closest to them knew. It is a mark of how everyone felt that not one word was ever leaked to the press. Now everyone felt relieved for the couple that they could freely express their love for each other.

Takarada Lory, as the Master of Ceremonies, invited people to make their speeches. There were many heartwarming words, but the most memorable for Kanae came from Renate, "I first met this couple when they were filming in Australia. In the short time that I knew them I arrived at two conclusions: First, that they were two of the most wonderful teenagers I had ever had the privilege to meet. And second, it was only a matter of time before that wonderful boy would catch that wonderful girl. In the last six years since then I just couldn't imagine either of them with anyone else. May your marriage be blessed, may your home be honored. And may your children be many."

Kanae left for her next change. This time Hiou left as well. He returned quickly in a tuxedo. Her own preparations took much longer. First of all, all of the white paint was removed. Then she was dressed. Six years before, Uesugi Emiko had given her the next kimono as a gift. Now, looking magnificent in gold and scarlet, Kanae took the arm of her handsome husband and entered again. Whatever else anyone in the room would remember about the day, nobody would ever forget how she looked in that exquisite kimono.

This part of the ceremony was the _kampei_, where toasts were exchanged. It was also where at least a few of the people became sloshed. Still Kanae didn't mind. She spent most of her time dancing with her husband.

She danced a slow dance with her head on Hiou's broad shoulder, just enjoying the moment. Then she leaned back, "I've always wondered: how did you suddenly learn how to write haikus?"

"Suddenly?" He chuckled. "You remember the time I went to your house when I was eleven?"

Kanae remembered all too well, "Yes. What does that have to do with anything?"

"You only had one decoration hanging in your entire house. It was a hand-brushed haiku. I think it might have been from your grandfather."

"Ok, so….?"

"Well I went home and tried hundreds of haikus. They all stunk. Finally I had to give it up. But when Amamiya Chiori suggested haikus, I decided to try again."

"You mean that you've been writing me haikus since you were eleven?!"

"Well, yeah."

She laid her head on his shoulder again, "I don't deserve someone like you, Hiou."

"You deserve the entire universe, Kanae, and I intend for you to have it."

The last change was the easiest. Kanae returned to the reception one last time, dressed in a white, western-style wedding dress. After everyone congratulated the couple and they opened gifts, it was time for them to depart.

I'm sorry to tell you that they did not share any information about their honeymoon destination, lest it be leaked to the press.

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**Notes:** I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read this story. It has been an interesting challenge finding ways around the five year age difference. But it has also been fun. I hope that the idea was at least somewhat plausible.

If you would like to read more about the Japanese wedding ceremony, just google it. There is a ton of information available.

I want to thank everyone who has submitted a review or who has sent me a private message about this or that. Please give one final review and let me know what you think about the story as a whole.

The next story in the series is a one-shot named _When the cats are away. _Following that is a Kyoko x Maria story named _A Life worth Living._ That story takes place almost a year after Ren and Kyoko's wedding. I hope that you can find the time to read them and let me know what you think.


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